What are the leaps in China's space technology from Shenzhou 1 to 13?

Shenzhou 1 (1999)

The spacecraft was the first mission of China's manned spaceflight project and the first launch of a Shenzhou spacecraft.

Launched at 6:00 a.m. on Nov. 20, 1999, from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome by the Long March 2F rocket, which was improved and developed on the basis of the Long March 2 bundle rocket,

After the spacecraft entered the orbit, all the measurement and control centers and the sea measurement ships tracked, measured and controlled the spacecraft, and also made the first test for the life-support system and the attitude-control system inside the spacecraft. After the spacecraft ran 14 laps in orbit according to the predetermined procedure, the waving center issued a return command to the spacecraft, which then established a return attitude, ignited the braking engine and began to carry out the return procedure.

The mission was a complete success as the spacecraft landed at 3 a.m. on Nov. 21 at the main landing site of Saihantala in Inner Mongolia's Sunit Right Banner.

Shenzhou II (2001)

Shenzhou II, also an unmanned test spacecraft, is China's first positive unmanned space test vessel, consisting of three parts: the propulsion module, the return module, and the orbital module.

During the flight of the spacecraft, all kinds of test instruments and equipments performed stably and worked normally, and a large amount of valuable flight test data was collected. At this time of the flight, also for the first time in the spacecraft in the microgravity environment of the space life sciences, space materials, space astronomy and physics and other fields of scientific experiments.

Shenzhou III (2002)

Shenzhou III is the third unmanned test spacecraft launched by China, and also the second positive sample unmanned spacecraft in the Shenzhou series of spacecraft, with the main purpose of researching manned functions, and the test technology status and design of the spacecraft will be the same as that of a manned state, except that the spacecraft did not carry astronauts.

The Shen3 spacecraft carries a dummy astronaut with physiological simulation specifications, a device that can simulate human metabolism, simulate human physiological signals, and quantitatively simulate important parameters of astronaut physiological activity in space.

In addition, Shenzhou III carries a number of experimental devices as well as seeds of plants. The spacecraft consists of a propulsion module, a return module and an orbital module.

Shenzhou IV (2002)

Shenzhou IV was China's third positively unmanned spacecraft. Its technical status is exactly the same as that of a manned spacecraft, except that it does not carry astronauts. The spacecraft consists of a propulsion module, a return module, an orbital module and an additional segment.

Shenzhou IV is further improved and perfected on the basis of the previous three spacecraft, and is designed and manufactured in full accordance with the safety requirements of manned spaceflight. Two seats have been added to the return capsule of the spacecraft, in which two simulated astronauts are seated, and all the necessary items for the astronauts' work, life, and medical care are available, including sleeping bags, pressure suits, space food and all kinds of life-saving items needed for the accidental situation after landing. Everything, and someone specification is exactly the same, the mission accident contingency greatly improved.

The Shenzhou IV mission is one of the most technically demanding, systematic, difficult and comprehensive unmanned flight tests ever conducted, laying the foundation for the first manned space mission to be carried out as planned.

Shenzhou V (2003)

Shenzhou V is the fifth spacecraft launched by China's manned space program and the first manned spacecraft launched by China.

Astronaut Yang Liwei launched it from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:00 a.m. sharp on October 15, 2003, returned the next day, and landed at 6:23 a.m. on October 16th. Its successful launch and return marked China as the third country in the world to send a man into space.

Shenzhou VI (2005)

Shenzhou VI is no different from Shenzhou V in appearance, and still has a three-compartment structure of propulsion module, return module and orbital module. Shenzhou VI was launched on October 12, 2005 by a Long March 2F carrier rocket. It is China's second spacecraft to carry astronauts and the first manned spacecraft to carry out a "multi-person, multi-day" mission.

Shenzhou VI is crewed by two astronauts, Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng. Compared with Shenzhou V, more than 40 pieces of equipment and six pieces of software have been added to the spacecraft, bringing its equipment to more than 600, software to 82, and components to more than 100,000, and 110 technological improvements have been made in four areas.

Shenzhou VII (2008)

It is also the third spacecraft in the series to carry astronauts. It was launched at 21:10 on September 25, 2008 by a Long March 2F carrier rocket. The three astronauts on board were Zhai Zhigang (commander), Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng.

During the orbital period, Zhai Zhigang operated out of the capsule and Liu Boming assisted in the orbiting capsule, realizing the first spacewalk in China's history and making China the third country capable of sending astronauts to space and walking in space.

Shenzhou VIII (2011)

Shenzhou VIII belongs to the unmanned target vehicle for docking preparation for China's space station, and was launched in the early morning of Nov. 1, 2011 by the Long March 2F Remote 8 launch vehicle.

Previously, the Tiangong-1 target vehicle was launched on Sept. 29, 2011, and Shenzhou-8 automatically docked with Tiangong-1 in the early morning hours of Nov. 3, forming a small "space laboratory. After an interval of 12 days, it separated from Tiangong-1 and docked with it for a second time. Finally, the spacecraft again detached from the Tiangong-1, and the return capsule returned to Earth.

Shenzhou IX (2012)

Shenzhou IX, with three astronauts on board, is China's fourth manned spacecraft, and was used to perform the first manned rendezvous and docking with Tiangong 1. Shenzhou IX was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province at 18:00 on June 16, 2012, and was rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong 1 on June 18 and June 24 respectively. Astronauts entered Tiangong 1 to live for more than 10 days, after which the spacecraft landed smoothly at 10:03 p.m. on June 29 in Inner Mongolia.

Shenzhou 10 (2013)

Shenzhou 10 is China's fifth mission of manned spaceflight,*** carrying three astronauts and the Tiangong 1 target vehicle were unmanned and manned rendezvous and docking, successful docking of the three astronauts (two men and one woman: Nie Haisheng, male, the commanding officer; Zhang Xiaoguang, male, the assistant to the commanding officer; Wang Yaping, female) into the Tiangong 1.

This mission is the last docking mission between Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong 1. The spacecraft consists of a propulsion module (service module), a return module and an orbital module. Shenzhou 10 was successfully launched at 17:00 Beijing time on June 11, 2013, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center by the Long March 2F Improved Launch Vehicle "Shen arrow".

Together with the launch and return, Shenzhou 10*** spent about 15 days in orbit, including 12 days in Tiangong-1. Its return capsule landed on June 26, 2013, local time.

During the mission, lectures were given to primary and secondary school students across the country from Tiangong 1 via video communication, with Wang Yaping serving as the main lecturer for the lecture, which included physics knowledge such as the characteristics of the motion of an object under weightlessness, the role of surface tension in liquids, mass, weight, and Newton's laws. In the process, the astronauts interacted with teachers and students on the ground.

Shenzhou XI (2016)

Shenzhou XI is China's sixth mission in manned spaceflight, carrying two astronauts for rendezvous and docking with the Tiangong-2 space lab, and after successful docking the two astronauts will be stationed on Tiangong-2 to conduct space experiments. This is the first manned mission on board the Tiangong-2 space lab. The spacecraft was successfully launched at 07:00 on October 17, 2016, and returned on November 18, 2016, with a month-long stay in orbit.

Tiangong-2 docked with Shenzhou-11 to conduct a series of space experiments. Since Oct. 20, the two astronauts have conducted weightlessness protection exercises on the space runway, and also planted lettuce seeds with their own hands, and in the future they will complete the whole process of plant growing in space.

Shenzhou XII (2021)

Shenzhou XII, the twelfth mission of the Shenzhou series of spacecraft, was launched on June 17, 2021, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using the Long March 2F carrier rocket to send three astronauts, Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo, to the Tiangong space station. The Shenzhou XII manned mission The Shenzhou 12 manned mission is the fourth mission in the key technology verification phase of the space station and the first manned mission in the space station phase.

The composition of Shenzhou XII manned spacecraft includes an orbital module, a return module and a propulsion module with 14 subsystems. The orbital module is equipped with astronauts' on-orbit life support equipment, rendezvous and docking sensitizer and other equipment; the return capsule is the cabin section in which astronauts ride during the launch and return process of the spacecraft, and it is the "brain" of the spacecraft; the propulsion module is equipped with the propulsion system, power supply, etc., and it is capable of providing the spacecraft with the power system and adjusting the attitude orbit during the flight process.

Shenzhou XIII (2021)

Shenzhou XIII is the thirteenth mission of China's Shenzhou series of spacecraft, as well as the twenty-first mission of China's manned space project with the eighth manned mission, was launched on Oct. 16, 2021 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using the Long March 2F carrier rocket.

The three astronauts, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu, stayed on board for six months, setting a new record for the length of China's astronauts' consecutive flights in orbit.

During the orbital flight of the astronauts, the astronauts carried out two out-of-cabin activities, carried out hand-controlled remote operation rendezvous and docking, robotic arm-assisted segment transposition and a number of scientific and technological experiments, and also took advantage of the mission gap to carry out two "Tiangong classroom" space lectures, as well as a series of distinctive science education and culture The company's website is also available on the Internet.

The success of the Shenzhou XIII manned mission marks the successful completion of the key technology verification phase of the space station, and China's space station will soon enter the construction phase.