China sent three astronauts to its space station

They are gone. Three Chinese astronauts made the first manned flight to the “Heavenly Palace” facing the Beijing International Space Station on Thursday, June 17. At the scheduled time, the Long-March 2F rocket took off at 9:22 am (3:22 ​​am French time), launching from the Juan space launch pad into the Kobe Desert (northwest).

This is the record-breaking time in space for the first humans and Asian companies for China in nearly five years: three unnamed astronauts will remain in orbit for three months until Wednesday. Against the backdrop of tensions with the West, the success of this trip is worthy of Beijing, which is preparing to celebrate the 1st^{There is} July marks the centenary of the Communist Party of China (CCP).

All three troops took their seats on the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, which will bring the same set of bases already in space. The control center and home for astronauts, the block was placed in low Earth orbit (350-390 km altitude) at the end of April. On board, the astronauts will be busy with maintenance, installation of equipment, space tracks, preparation for upcoming construction work and shelter for future crews.

The patriotic dimension

The Chinese space station, known as Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”), will be similar to the former Soviet Mir station (1986-2001) when completed. Its lifespan is at least ten years.

China decided to build its own space station after the United States refused to participate in the International Space Station (ISS). The latter – which unites the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan – is due to retire in 2028, although NASA has indicated a possible extension beyond 2028.

Wednesday, French astronaut Thomas Pesket and his US teammate Shane Kimbero successfully complete more than seven hours of space travel To stop the next generation solar panel outside of ISS.

“We are ready to cooperate with any country that is committed to the peaceful use of space.”Xi Jinping, a senior official at the Chinese Human Space Agency (CMSA), said on Wednesday.

Farewell ceremony

Shortly before their departure, Mission Commander Nee Heisheng, accompanied by Liu Booming and Tang Hongbo, said goodbye to their relatives and colleagues, and an old revolutionary refrain arose at a ceremony with a strong patriotic content. “There is no new China without the Communist Party”.

At a news conference on Wednesday, three astronauts saluted journalists in front of a large red flag with five stars. Nei Heisheng, who has already flown two spacecraft, underscored the patriotic dimension of the operation. “For decades, we have written glorious chapters in Chinese space history, and our mission is to embody the expectations of the people and the party.”, Did he announce?

The trio spent more than 6,000 hours training to gain weight. “We fought every minute to fulfill our space dream.”, One of the crew, Liu Booming, testified. “I trained by dedicating myself to the cause.”

In their capsule, all three players will be able to choose between 120 meals at meal time and can train on a treadmill to stay in shape.