Fresh blood from China to the space station: 6th crew of astronauts launched!

Tomb Raider's Lara Croft coming to Dead by Daylight

According to the statement made by the China Manned Space Program Agency (CMSA), the Shincou-17 space shuttle carrying astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shingcie and Ciang Shinlin was launched from the Ciuçüen Satellite Center in the Gobi Desert with a Long March 2F rocket.

It was reported that the capsule separated from the rocket 10 minutes after liftoff and entered the planned orbit direction.

After reaching the space station today, the crew will hand over to the three crew members who were sent to the station on May 30th with the Shincou-16 shuttle and have been on duty for 5 months.

- Youngest crew team

The crew is the youngest group of astronauts China has ever sent to the space station.

Tang Hongbo, born in 1975, who had previously worked on the station during the Shincou-12 mission, assumed command of the crew.

Ciang Shinlin, born in 1988, and Tang Shingcie, born in 1989, who took part in the space mission for the first time, became the youngest astronauts China has sent into space.

It was noted that the crew team, which will serve on the space station for 5 months, will carry out scientific experiments and technology tests in orbit, as well as maintenance of the station and other tasks.

Lin Shichiang, Deputy Director of CMSA, stated that long-term maintenance of the space station is necessary due to the increase in the number of man-made objects floating free in orbit, called "space debris".

Lin said that they have detected that small parts hit the space station's solar-powered panels and caused minor damage.

- China's space station "Tiengong"

China has built its own space station in orbit after the United States banned cooperation in space exploration and blocked its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program.

The "Tiengong" (celestial palace) station, consisting of a core module, two laboratory modules and the planned addition of a space telescope, is modeled on Russia's now defunct Mir Space Station.

The main part of the station, the core module called "Tienhı" (celestial harmony), was launched on April 29, 2021, the first laboratory module "Vintien" (searching the heavens) on July 24, 2022, and the second laboratory module "Mıngtien" (dreaming the heavens) on October 31, 2022.

With the addition of the laboratory modules to the core module, the installation of the station's "T" shaped main skeleton was completed and the station entered the "application and development phase".

The space telescope called "Shuntien" (wandering the heavens) is also planned to be added to the station as a separate module.

A 3-person crew of astronauts rotates at the station, where personnel are transported by "Shincou" (sacred ship) shuttles and supplies are transported by "Tiencou" (celestial ship) shuttles.