BEIJING (AP) – A pair of Chinese astronauts entered the country’s orbiting space station for a month-long stay early Wednesday, as China’s sixth and longest crewed mission gets underway in earnest.
The Shenzhou 11 spacecraft that blasted off Monday morning docked with the Tiangong 2 station using an automated manoeuvre worked out during missions to an earlier experimental station.
Having changed from his space suit into blue overalls, veteran mission commander Jing Haipeng opened the hatch and entered the station shortly after 6am Beijing time (2200 GMT), followed by astronaut Chen Dong, who is making his first journey into space, the official Xinhua News Agency reported.
“The two astronauts extended greetings to all the people of the nation in the space lab, and checked the status of the space complex,” Xinhua said.
Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong (L) wave farewell to the crowd before getting on Shenzhou 11 spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China. – AP
The space station launched September 15 is orbiting about 393 kilometres (244 miles) above the earth. The mission displays the growing sophistication of the country’s manned programme that first launched a human into space 13 years ago.
During their 30-day stay, the astronauts will conduct experiments in medicine and space-related technologies, and test systems and processes in preparation for the launching of the station’s core module in 2018. A fully functioning space station is on course to begin full operations six years from now and slated to run for at least a decade.
China’s manned space programme has also conducted a spacewalk, while the lunar programme recently decommissioned its Yutu rover and is considering sending a crew to the moon.
The post Chinese astronauts enter station following docking appeared first on Borneo Bulletin Online.