In 2023, China launched the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft, the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft, and the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft. These are the first batch of missions after the Chinese space station is fully completed and has entered a new stage of application and development.At the end of the year, the official Weibo of China Manned Space Engineering Network has taken stock of the unforgettable missions in 2023. Let’s review them together:
At 15:26 on May 5, 2023, the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft successfully evacuated the space station assembly and entered the independent flight stage.
At 21:22 on May 10, 2023, the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft was successfully launched. This is the first mission for my country’s manned aerospace project to enter the space station application and development stage.
At 3:10 on June 6, 2023, the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, which had been flying independently in orbit for 33 days, completed its rendezvous and docking with the space station assembly.
At 9:31 on May 30, 2023, the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft was successfully launched, this is the first manned mission in which my country’s manned aerospace project has entered the space station application and development stage. At 18:22, the astronaut crew of Shenzhou 15 opened the "door" and welcomed the astronaut crew of Shenzhou 16 to settle in the "Tiangong". The two astronaut crew also took a "family photo" in the "Tiangong".
At 6:33 on June 4, 2023, the return capsule of the Shenzhou 15 manned spacecraft landed successfully at the Dongfeng Landing Field, and astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming, and Zhang Lu returned home safely. These three astronauts witnessed the historical moment when the Chinese space station was fully completed in space.
At 16:46 on September 11, 2023, the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft, which had completed all scheduled tasks, successfully evacuated the space station assembly and transitioned to independent flight. At 9:13 on September 12, the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft made a controlled re-entry into the atmosphere.
At 11:14 on October 26, 2023, the Shenzhou 17 manned spacecraft was successfully launched.This mission is the second manned mission for my country's manned space project to enter the space station application and development stage. It also marks the achievement of 30 launch missions for the manned space project and 30 successes. At 19:34, the crew of Shenzhou 16th astronauts opened the "door" to welcome the crew of Shenzhou 17th astronauts to settle in the "Tiangong". Later, "Tiangong" once again witnessed the birth of "Family Portrait".
At 20:37 on October 30, 2023, the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft successfully separated from the space station assembly, and astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao embarked on their journey home. At 8:11 on October 31, the return capsule of the Shenzhou 16 manned spacecraft successfully landed at the Dongfeng Landing Field, and the three astronauts returned home safely. They are the first astronaut crew to carry out manned missions in the application and development stage of the space station.
According to the 2024 annual flight mission plan, my country will launch the Tianzhou-7 and Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft, which will dock at the rearward ports of the core module respectively after liftoff. The Shenzhou 18 and Shenzhou 19 manned spacecrafts were simultaneously launched, with each flight crew consisting of three astronauts.