posted 10-15-2016 06:39 AM               

China to launch Shenzhou 11 crew for space lab

China is set to launch its sixth crewed spaceflight on the first and only crewed mission to its Tiangong-2 space lab.

The Shenzhou 11 spacecraft will lift off with Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong to stay 30 days aboard the orbiting module. The launch is scheduled for Sunday (Oct. 16) at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT).

The docking of Shenzhou 11 with Tiangong-2 will take place two days later.

The spacecraft's Long March 2F rocket was rolled out to the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Monday (Oct. 10).

The Shenzhou 11 crew are expected to perform science experiments and test the systems on Tiangong-2 in an effort to advance China's plans for a modular, larger space station, Tianhe-1, slated to launch in 2018.

posted 10-16-2016 06:50 PM               

China launches two taikonauts on month-long Shenzhou 11 mission to space lab

China has launched two astronauts on a month-long mission to its second orbital space lab.

Veteran taikonaut Jing Haipeng and ex-military pilot Chen Dong lifted off aboard the Shenzhou 11 spacecraft Sunday (Oct. 16) at 7:30 p.m. EDT (2330 GMT; 7:30 a.m. Oct. 17 Beijing Time). The vehicle launched atop a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northwest Gobi desert.

posted 10-18-2016 02:25 PM               

Shenzhou 11 docks at Tinagong-2

China's Shenzhou 11 spacecraft docked at the Tiangong-2 space lab on Tuesday (Oct. 18), after a two-day rendezvous.

The docking, at 3:24 p.m. EDT (1924 GMT; 3:24 a.m. Oct. 19 Beijing Time), marked the beginning of taikonauts Jing Haipeng's and Chen Dong's month-long stay aboard the orbiting complex.

posted 11-17-2016 08:42 AM               

Shenzhou 11 crew departs Tiangong-2

Taikonauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong boarded their Shenzhou 11 spacecraft and departed from Tiangong-2 on Wednesday (Nov. 16), beginning their return to Earth.

Shenzhou 11 undocked from the orbiting space lab at 11:41 p.m. EST (0441 GMT; 12:41 p.m. Beijing Time Nov. 17). The separation marked the end of Jing's and Chen's 30 days on Tiangong-2, the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts.

Shenzhou 11 is slated to land in China on Friday (Nov. 18), between 12:33 and 1:13 a.m. EST (0533-0613 GMT).

posted 11-18-2016 12:36 AM               

China's Shenzhou 11 crew lands on Earth after month-long space lab mission

Two Chinese astronauts returned to Earth early Friday morning (Nov. 18) after a month-long space lab mission that set a new record for their country's human spaceflight program and advanced preparations for China's first space station.

Jing Haipeng, 50, and Chen Dong, 37, who launched on board China's Shenzhou 11 spacecraft on Oct. 16, landed at 12:59 a.m. EST (0559 GMT or 1:59 p.m. Beijing time) in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. Their 32 days in space more than doubled China's previous longest crewed mission.