Material for the press conference of the State Council Information Office

Introduction of Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11

Manned Spaceflight Mission

( November 18, 2016)

China Manned Space Agency, CMSA

At 14:03 November 18, 2016, the re-entry module of Shenzhou-11 arrived in the preset area at main landing site in the middle of Inner Mongolia , astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong got off the module safe and sound after medical confirmation. Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 missions have been completed successfully, realizing the mission objectives of stable operation, healthy stay, safe return and abundant achievements.

1 A brief introduction of China Manned Space Program

Since the approval in 1992, manned space program has been carried out steadily according to the Three-Step Development Strategy, which has successfully completed the first-step and the first stage of the second-step, mastered and broken through the basic technologies of manned space-ground round-trip, extra vehicular activity, rendezvous and docking, making China the country with independent capability in manned spaceflight.

In 2010, the government approved the space station project, which would be implemented by two phases as Space Laboratory Mission Phase and Space Station Mission Phase. Main objectives of the Space Laboratory Mission Phase include technology breakthrough of cargo transportation, astronaut medium-term staying, propellant refueling, ground long-time mission support and maintance, implementation of space science experiment and technology test, which would lay a foundation for space station construction and operations, accumulate experiences and so on. According to mission objectives, there would be four missions, including the debut flight of Long March-7 launch vehicle, Tiangong-2 mission, Shenzhou-11 mission and Tianzhou-1 mission.

Main objectives of Space Station Mission Stage are as follows: around 2022, to build and operate China’s manned space station, to master low-orbit space long-term manned spaceflight technology, to be equipped with the abilities of long-term man-tended science experiments, technology tests and space utilization.

2 A brief introduction of Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 mission

2.1 Main objectives of the missions

The missions will further demonstrate the function and performance of manned space-ground transportation system, especially rendezvous and docking technology on space station’s operation orbit and manned spaceship re-entry technology; accomplish astronauts medium-term staying, demonstrate the guarantee competence of the space laboratory-spaceship combination on astronauts’ living, working and health, as well as astronauts’ competence during the flight; carry out space medicine, space science experiments and application technology tests, in-orbit tests, space station technology tests and science popularization activities.

2.2 Mission Technical Specifications

Astronaut System, Space Utilization System, Manned Spaceship System, Space Laboratory System, Long March-2F Launch Vehicle System, Jiuquan Launch Site System, TT&C and Communications System, Landing Site System of Manned Space Program are involved in the missions.

Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, two male astronauts comprised the mission crew, carrying out manned rendezvous and docking and 30-day staying mission, during which they completed the space medicine and space science experiments, space utilization technology, in-orbit maintenance technology, space station technology tests and science popularization activities.

Space utilization payloads include 14 payloads such as space cold atom clock, space-ground quantum key distribution test and so on, as well as 3 experiments which won prizes in Hongkong High School Space Science and Technology Design Contest.

Shenzhou-11 has the familiar technical specifications with Shenzhou-10. According to the development requirements of the mission and product, some technical specifications have been modified. The spaceship has carried out 30-day combination mission with Tiangong-2, with the ability of 5-day independent flight.

Tiangong-2 is China’s first space laboratory indeed, which has been modified and developed based on Tiangong-1 spare target spacecraft. It adopts a two-module configuration of experiment module and resource module. The propulsion subsystem has been improved for the requirements of propellant refueling test. For the requirements of medium-term staying, habitat condition has been greatly improved, with the ability of supporting 30-day in-orbit working and living for two astronauts and a design life of two years.

The technical figurations of Long March-2F T2 are the same with previous Long March-2F T1, the technical figurations of Long March-2F Y11 are the same with the previous Long March-2F Y10 launch vehicle, which have been partly improved for further safety and reliability.

Main technical figurations of Jiuquan Launch Site and TT&C and Communications System have remained unchanged. Main landing site located in Siziwang Banner has been used for Shenzhou-11 re-entry module rescue and retrieve.

3 Implementation of the missions

Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 arrived at the launch site on July 9, 2016 and August 13, 2016, respectively. Long March-2F T2 and Long March-2F Y11 arrived at the launch site on August 16, 2016. Astronaut crew arrived at Jiuquan launch site on October 10, 2016.

At 22:04, September 15, 2016, Tiangong-2 space laboratory was lift off atop Long March-2F T2 launch vehicle from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Followed by the launch, Tiangong-2 entered a 380km orbit by means of maneuvering, and then completed in-orbit tests and carried out space technology tests.

At 07:30 October 17, 2016, Shenzhou-11 was launched successfully atop Long March-2F Y11 from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with Astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong on board, and it later entered the orbit precisely. After then, Shenzhou-11 was guided remotely from the ground and carried out autonomous flight. At 03:31 October 19, Shenzhou-11 completed automatic rendezvous and docking with Tiangong-2 in the near circular orbit of 393km and formed a combination. At 06:32, two astronauts entered Tiangong-2.

During the flight, altogether more than 40 experiments and tests on space science and utilization technology, space medicine, in-orbit maintenance technology have been completed, as well as science popularization and presentation activities. An accompanying satellite has been released successfully and accompanying photography and near-distance fly-by observation have been carried out. Two astronauts have been in good conditions in orbit, completed all experiments and tests according to the plan, and acquired a large amount of data and achievements.

At 12:41 on November 17, 2016, Shenzhou-11 and Tiangong-2 separated from each other. After then, a rapid orbital maneuvering control demonstration test has been carried out. At 13:12 on November 18, the spaceship move into re-entry process. At 14:03 , the re-entry module landed precisely in the planned area.

At the mean time, Tiangong-2 has transferred to the previous long-term operation orbit and switched to independent operation mode, to carry out space science experiments and utilization technology tests, waiting for Tianzhou-1 mission.

4 The significance of the missions

The success of the missions symbolizes that China’s Space Laboratory Mission promotes crucial achievements, which laid a solid foundation for China’s space station construction and operation, as well as astronauts long-term staying in space. Specifically, aiming at space station construction and operation, the missions demonstrated life support technology for astronaut medium-length staying in space, human-machine collaboration in-orbit maintenance technology, rendezvous and docking in space station operation orbit, spacecraft combination operation, manned spaceship return and other related key technologies, accumulating related experiences on long-term flight mission maintence and large-scale space utilization tests organization.

During the preparation and implementation of Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 mission, Xi Jinping, General Secretary the CPC Central Committee, President of the People’s Republic of China, Chairman of Central Military Commission, has made significant instructions on the success of the Space Laboratory Mission for many times, sent congratulatory messages on the success launch of Shenzhou-11 mission, called and talked with Shenzhou-11 astronauts kindly at Command Center of China Manned Space Program. Li Keqiang, Liu Yunshan,Zhang Gaoli have also been present at the mission center and gave instructions. All of this embodies that Chinese government attaches a great importance on the missions and shows kind concerns on all personnel involved in the missions. Chinese people, Ethnic Chinese all around the world, international friends and domestic and foreign news media are all paying a close attention on the missions.