China's 'Ujugulgi'... Countdown to Completion of Independent Space Station

Successful Launch of Shenzhou 15, Completion of Own Space Station Upon Docking with Tianhe
Astronauts to Reside Year-Round at 400 km Above Earth... China Also Plans Lunar Base Construction

[Asia Economy Senior Reporter Cho Young-shin] China has successfully launched the manned spacecraft Shenzhou 15, which will carry out the final stage mission of constructing its independent space station. Once Shenzhou 15 successfully docks with the core module of the space station, "Tianhe," China will operate its own space station.

Photo by Huanqiu Shibao Capture

State-run Xinhua News Agency reported on the 30th that Shenzhou 15, carrying three astronauts, was launched at 11:08 PM on the 29th from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province aboard the Long March-2F rocket and entered a normal orbit.

Since the launch of the first Tianhe module in April 2021, China has launched a total of 11 rockets (3 modules, 4 cargo, 4 manned) focusing on completing the space station.

State-run Global Times compared the near completion of the space station in just 20 months with the International Space Station (ISS), which took 10 years. It explained that China’s space station will conduct more than 40 scientific experiments, including plant molecular changes, at an altitude of 400 km above Earth over the next 10 years. It also added that the importance of China’s independent space station has increased as the aging ISS is expected to reach the end of its lifespan as early as 2024.

Xinhua News Agency also celebrated the successful launch and normal orbit insertion of Shenzhou 15 as a historic milestone for China’s space industry.

Chinese media reported that currently three astronauts are living in the Tianhe module, and if docking is successful, the three astronauts will be replaced. The handover between the three current astronauts and the three new astronauts is expected to take about six days, after which the three astronauts will return to Earth.

China plans to launch two manned spacecraft and two cargo spacecraft annually to support space activities at Tiangong. Considering that astronauts are replaced every six months, the manned spacecraft Shenzhou 16 is expected to be launched around May next year.

Xinhua News Agency quoted a Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center official saying that the Shenzhou 16 spacecraft is currently completed and on standby for emergencies, while Shenzhou 17 and 18 are currently being assembled.

China has set a goal to build the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) by 2028. To this end, it is developing a 1MW (megawatt) small nuclear reactor and a 500-ton thrust liquid-fueled rocket engine for use at the lunar base.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.