(The article is a bit long, please read it patiently, you can follow me if you can't finish reading)
In April 1961, the former Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin flew into space on the Vostok 1 spacecraft, announcing the arrival of the era of human manned spaceflight.
Gagarin with the Vostok 1 spacecraft
Although Gagarin flew around the earth only once on the Vostok 1 spacecraft, he completely verified the key technologies required for the space-to-earth round-trip transportation system to be launched into orbit, operated in orbit, life support, TT&C communication, and safely returned, and proved that mankind has the ability to achieve reliable space-to-earth round-trip.
American Mercury
On February 20, 1962, John Glenn became the first person in the United States to orbit the Earth when he flew three times around the Earth in the Mercury 6 spacecraft.
Continental manned space program started (between 1960~1980)
During the same period, the Chinese Academy of Sciences also began the planning of manned spaceflight.
Cas
In September 1967, Wang Xiji and the Eighth Design Institute conducted a demonstration of the overall scheme of a one-man spacecraft. And the spacecraft was named Aurora I. At the end of that year, the Eighth Academy of Sciences successively completed the demonstration of four schemes that could carry one, two, three, and five astronauts.
Wang Xiji
On April 1, 1968, the Institute of Aerospace Medical Engineering (507 Institute) was established and the selection of astronauts began.
On July 14, 1970, Mao Zedong circled the selection report of the astronauts of the Shuguang-1 spacecraft. Therefore, China's first manned space program was called the "714" program.
On November 27, 1970, the National Defense Science and Technology Commission submitted the "Report on the Development of Manned Spacecraft, Communication Satellites, and Missile Satellites," proposing that the Shuguang-1 spacecraft should be piloted by two astronauts and that the maximum flight time would be eight days, and that it would strive to launch an unmanned spacecraft in 1973 and a manned spacecraft in 1974.
In April 1971, the demonstration meeting of the manned space engineering program was held, and the proposed plan was a two-person two-cabin type, similar to the Gemini of the United States. After the plan demonstration meeting, due to the changes in the political situation and the continuous opposition, the development of Shuguang-1 was extremely difficult.
Dawning 1 drawings
On October 23, 1974, due to certain political factors, the development of the Dawning spacecraft was halted.
Although the development of the Shuguang-1 spacecraft has been stopped, some technological progress has been made, including high-altitude biological experiments, astronaut selection, aerospace medicine, and the development of experimental equipment.
In June ~ July 1970, the selection of the first batch of 20 astronauts was completed. Since then, a large number of medical trials and tests have been carried out. Through the pre-research of the Shuguang-1 spacecraft, a group of technical experts engaged in spacecraft design have been trained, and they have also accumulated a lot of experience in spacecraft structure, materials, heat protection, testing, astronaut food and special equipment design.
The second launch of the manned space program (1990~present)
In the face of external technological blockade and lack of internal resources, Chinese astronauts have not flinched, but have strengthened their determination to develop independently.
In the 90s, with the improvement of national strength and technological accumulation brought about by reform and opening up, China once again launched the manned space project, and designed and developed the Shenzhou spacecraft as the core carrier of manned spaceflight.
On September 21, 1992, the meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee made a strategic decision to implement China's manned space program, which was named "Shenzhou" and codenamed "921" project, and clarified the "three-step" development strategy of manned spaceflight.
The first step is to launch unmanned and manned spacecraft to safely send astronauts into low-Earth orbit, conduct earth observations and scientific experiments, and return astronauts safely to the ground;
The second step is to break through the rendezvous and docking technology of manned spacecraft and space vehicles, launch space laboratories, and solve the problem of space applications of a certain scale and short-term manned care.
The third step is to build a space station to solve the problem of large-scale, long-term manned space applications.
From September 2, 1992 to 1995, the Shenzhou spacecraft completed the design of the overall technical scheme.
In 1998, the research and development unit completed major test work, such as the joint training of the rocket, the spacecraft, and the launch site, and the flight test of escape and life-saving at zero altitude. Subsequently, the spacecraft system was transferred to the stage of normal sample development.
The time node of the "Shenzhou Spacecraft" series
Shenzhou-1 (1999)
Shenzhou-1 is China's first self-developed unmanned test spacecraft, and its successful launch marks a substantial first step in China's manned space program. This mission mainly verifies the correctness of the overall scheme design of the spacecraft and the ability of the spacecraft to operate in orbit, including the performance of key subsystems such as the spacecraft's structure, thermal control system, power supply system, TT&C communication system, attitude control system, and recovery and landing system.
Shenzhou-1 return capsule
Shenzhou-2 to Shenzhou-4 (2001-2002)
The three unmanned missions in this phase are in-depth tests and refinements of Shenzhou's various technologies. Shenzhou-2 further tested the spacecraft's actual environmental adaptability and reliability, Shenzhou-3 carried a dummy model simulating astronauts and carried out some life support systems to carry out relevant scientific experiments in a microgravity environment, and Shenzhou-4 was launched in severe cold conditions to verify the spacecraft's ability to work in extreme climates.
Shenzhou-2 was launched
Shenzhou-1 to Shenzhou-4 are all unmanned test spacecraft. The success of the four consecutive tests has ensured the smooth progress of the "manned space mission" for the next step of the mainland's space industry.
Jinshu 5 (October 15, 2003)
Shenzhou-5 was the mainland's first manned space mission, and astronaut Yang Liwei successfully flew around the earth on board the spacecraft, making China the third country in the world to independently master manned space technology. This flight not only verified the safety and life support functions of the spacecraft, but also made a breakthrough in the major key technologies of manned space flight.
Yang Liwei
From 1999 to 2003, the mainland successfully launched four unmanned spacecraft and one manned spacecraft, breaking through 13 key technologies such as re-entry lift control, emergency response, soft landing, GNC fault diagnosis, inter-module separation, and heat protection. As a cross-century project in China's high-tech field, the overall performance of the Shenzhou spacecraft has reached the international advanced level in the 90s of the 20 th century.
Jinshu No. 6 (October 12, 2005)
Shenzhou-6 achieved China's first two-person multi-day space flight, and astronauts Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng jointly completed a five-day mission, during which a number of scientific experiments and operational exercises were carried out, proving that the Shenzhou spacecraft has the ability to fly for a long time.
Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng
The success of the Shenzhou-5 and Shenzhou-6 manned spacecraft has successfully completed the goal of the first step of the mainland's aerospace project, "launching a manned spacecraft and building a preliminary supporting experimental manned spacecraft project."
Starting with Shenzhou-7, the mainland will "gradually carry out space application experiments."
Jinshu 7 (September 25, 2008)
On September 25, 2008, the Shenzhou-7 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, sending astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng into space.
Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng
Shenzhou-7 achieved China's first spacewalk, and astronaut Zhai Zhigang successfully exited the capsule wearing a domestic extravehicular spacesuit, marking that China has mastered the key technologies of space out-of-cabin activities and successfully completed a number of technical tests. The spacecraft system also successfully conducted communication tests with the Tianlian-1 data relay satellite.
Jinshu No. 8 ( 2011.11.01)
The Shenzhou-8 spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, entered the predetermined orbit and completed the rigid connection with Tiangong-1, forming a combination, and after 12 days of operation, the spacecraft broke away from Tiangong-1 and conducted a rendezvous and docking test with it again, which marked that the mainland has successfully broken through a series of key technologies such as space rendezvous and docking and combined operation, and the return capsule landed in the main landing site area in central Inner Mongolia on November 17, 2011. The successful completion of the Shenzhou-8 mission has achieved a major leap forward in China's space technology.
Docking diagram of Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1
The Shenzhou-8 mission is not manned, and there are two simulated "astronauts" weighing 75 kilograms each with the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft to go to space, wearing in-cabin spacesuits according to the real flight state, and a physiological signal test box is installed on the clothing, which can simulate the generation of physiological signals such as electrocardiogram, respiration, body temperature, and blood pressure.
Jinshu 9 (June 16, 2012)
The Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, sending astronauts Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang into space, and completing an automatic rendezvous and docking with Tiangong-1 before returning on June 29, 2012. The complete success of the Shenzhou-9 mission marks the major achievements of the second step of the manned space project, and lays a good foundation for the future development of manned spaceflight and the construction of the space station.
Jinshu Jugo (June 11, 2013)
The Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, sending astronauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping into space, and the return capsule returned to the ground on June 26, 2013. After the launch of Shenzhou-10, it docked with Tiangong-1 again, carried out a short-term manned test, and carried out the first space teaching activities for Chinese astronauts, and Shenzhou-10 completed the first applied flight of China's aerospace manned space-to-earth round-trip transportation system. The Shenzhou-10 mission has achieved successive victories in China's manned space flight missions, drawing a successful conclusion to the second step and the first phase of the project, and also laying a good foundation for the subsequent construction of the manned space station.
Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping
Jinshu 11 (October 17, 2016)
The "Shenzhou-11" manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China, sending astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong into space, and docking with Tiangong-2 to conduct a mid-term residence test in space, and entered the return procedure on November 18, 2016, and the return capsule landed at the main landing site. Shenzhou-11 has realized the process from the second to the third step of the three-step process of China's manned space program, laying a solid foundation for the construction and operation of China's space station and the long-term residence of astronauts.
Jing Haipeng, Chen Dong
Jinshu 12 (June 17, 2021)
The Shenzhou-12 manned mission is the fourth mission in the key technology verification stage of the space station, and it is also the first manned mission in the space station stage. The astronauts who carried out this mission were Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo.
The successful launch of Shenzhou-12 means that China's first self-developed space station has entered a new chapter, and has begun to verify and solve the problem of large-scale, long-term manned space applications.
In addition to the manned spacecraft emergency rescue mission mode for the first time, Shenzhou-12 also further verified the functional performance of the manned space-to-earth round-trip transportation system, comprehensively verified the long-term stay support technology of astronauts, and verified the ability of astronauts and robotic arms to complete out-of-cabin activities and extravehicular operations together in orbit.
Jinshu 13 (October 16, 2021)
At 0:23 on October 16, 2021, the Long March-2F Yao-13 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched, and the Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered the predetermined orbit, sending three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu, into space.
During the Shenzhou-13 astronaut flight in orbit, they successively carried out two out-of-cabin activities, carried out a number of scientific and technological experiments such as hand-controlled remote operation rendezvous and docking, and robotic arm assisted module transposition, and verified key technologies such as astronaut long-term stay support, regeneration and life protection, space material supply, out-of-cabin activities, extravehicular operation, and in-orbit maintenance.
The success of the Shenzhou-13 manned mission marks the completion of the key technology verification stage of the space station, and the Chinese space station is about to enter the construction stage.
Jinshu 14 (June 5, 2022)
At 10:44 on June 5, 2022, the Long March-2F Yao-14 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft is the first manned spacecraft to enter the construction stage of China's space station, and it is also the emergency rescue spacecraft of Shenzhou-13, which was stationed at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in 2021, setting a record of 7 months of standby for the first time.
In the era of the construction of the continental space station, both the Chang-2F carrier rocket and the Shenzhou manned spacecraft adopted the "rolling standby" strategy, in which the first manned spacecraft was launched, and the latter manned spacecraft was on standby at the launch site, and had the ability to launch an emergency launch for 8.5 days to achieve space rescue. Therefore, before the launch of Shenzhou 14, Shenzhou 15 has also been prepared at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Shenzhou-14 radial docking
Jinshu Jugo (November 29, 2022)
At 23:08 on November 29, 2022, the Long March-2F Yao-15 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, and the Shenzhou-15 flight crew consisted of astronauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu.
After rotating in orbit with the Shenzhou-14 astronauts, they stayed in orbit for 6 months. The six astronauts of the Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 crews will "rendezvous" in space and work together in orbit for about a week.
Jinshu 16 (May 30, 2023)
At 9:31 a.m. on May 30, 2023, the Long March-2F Yao-16 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou-16 flight crew consisted of astronauts Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, with Jing Haipeng as the commander.
Jinshu 17 (October 26, 2023)
At 11:14 Beijing time on October 26, 2023, the Long March-2F Yao-17 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
The main tasks of the Shenzhou-17 manned flight include the implementation of astronaut out-of-cabin activities and cargo airlock out-of-cabin missions, the continuation of space science experiments and technical experiments, the implementation of routine work on platform management, astronaut support related work, and important activities such as popular science education.
Jinshu 18 (April 25, 2024)
At 20:58 Beijing time on April 25, 2024, the Long March-2F Yao-18 carrier rocket carrying the Shenzhou-18 manned spacecraft was ignited and launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
During their stay, the Shenzhou-18 astronaut crew will manage and take care of the space station and application payloads as planned, and carry out space station maintenance, repair and status inspection to ensure the safe, reliable and efficient operation of the space station.
On the basis of the existing space debris protection measures for the space station, the astronaut crew will install debris protection and reinforcement devices on extravehicular pipelines, cables and key equipment through out-of-cabin activities, and carry out extravehicular inspections according to the situation to further ensure the safety of the space station.
Shenzhou 19 (expected in the second half of 2024)
According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the Shenzhou-19 manned mission will be carried out in 2024, and the astronaut crew has been selected and mission training is being carried out.
In conclusion, in the near future, the Shenzhou spacecraft will continue to play an important role in the field of aerospace. On the one hand, with the continuous advancement of the construction of the space station, the Shenzhou spacecraft will undertake more manned missions to provide strong support for the operation and maintenance of the space station. On the other hand, with the continuous development of space technology, the Shenzhou spacecraft will also undergo technical upgrades and performance improvements to adapt to more complex and arduous space missions in the future.
In addition, the development of the Shenzhou spacecraft will also help the mainland establish a higher position in the international space field. By participating in international space cooperation and exchanges, the mainland will be able to learn more advanced space technology and management experience and further enhance its own space strength. At the same time, the Shenzhou spacecraft will also become an important window to showcase the mainland's aerospace achievements and strength, and enhance the country's influence and voice in the international arena.