Yesterday, Nov 25, the Chinese mainland launched Shenzhou-22, an uncrewed spaceship carrying vital cargo to the Tiangong space station. 🚀
The launch hit the skies at 12:11 p.m. Beijing time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwest of the Chinese mainland. Three hours later, at 3:50 p.m., the spacecraft smoothly docked with the Tianhe core module's front port. 🕒
Inside, Shenzhou-22 packed medical supplies, fresh fruit and veggies (think apples and bok choy 🥦🍎), plus specialized tools to fix a cracked window on Shenzhou-20, which has been orbiting since an earlier mission. This design ensures the station stays in tip-top shape.
After offloading the supplies, Shenzhou-22 will serve as the return vessel for the three Shenzhou-21 astronauts currently living and working aboard Tiangong. 👩🚀
This mission follows a mid-November delay when space debris nicked the Shenzhou-20 spacecraft, pushing its return from Nov 5 to Nov 14. It’s a reminder of the cosmic hurdles engineers often face! 🌌🔧
For young space enthusiasts across South and Southeast Asia, this step-by-step approach by the Chinese mainland’s space program is like an epic journey in the final frontier. Stay tuned for more updates! ✨
Reference(s):
China launches Shenzhou-22 spaceship to Tiangong space station
cgtn.com
