Chinese engineers have made comprehensive upgrades for the Shenzhou-22 spacecraft to enhance its performance, reliability, and crew comfort, according to an engineer.
The spacecraft was successfully launched from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday.
Talking to reporters prior to the launch, Diao Weihe from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation explained the upgrades.
"The Shenzhou-22 launch marks the first emergency launch in the history of the Shenzhou spacecraft program. Its preparation-to-launch cycle has been compressed to 16 days, significantly shorter than a standard mission timeline. It is the first spacecraft of a new production batch, and has undergone comprehensive upgrades aimed at enhancing capability, reliability, and crew comfort. These include upgraded and redesigned instruments for improved operability and accessibility. Additionally, the spacecraft's downward payload capacity has been significantly increased through optimized cabin layout and miniaturized instrument panels. Furthermore, some components have been upgraded to further enhance the spacecraft's autonomous and control capabilities," said Diao.
The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F Y22 carrier rocket, blasted off at 12:11 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending food, medicine, spare parts and other essential supplies to the Shenzhou-21 astronauts currently on board the Tiangong space station.
About 20 minutes after liftoff, the spaceship separated from the rocket and has now entered its designated orbit as it prepares for the docking procedure with the Tiangong space station.
The spaceship will perform a fast, automated rendezvous and dock with the front port of Tiangong's core module Tianhe in about 3.5 hours after entering orbit, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Tuesday's launch followed the postponed return of the Shenzhou-20 crew aboard the Shenzhou-21 spacecraft on Nov. 14. The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft was struck by space debris, delaying its return originally scheduled to take place on Nov 5, according to the agency.
Comprehensive upgrades improve performance, reliability, comfort of China's Shenzhou-22 spacecraft
