19 October 2021
Deng Qingming, along with Li Qinglong, Wu Jie, Chen Quan, Zhao Chuandong and Pan Zhanchun, have dedicated over two decades of their life in regular training to ensure they would be ready at a moment's notice if the country called upon them, knowing their chances of taking part in a mission diminished every day as they aged. While most of them have since retired from active services and been transferred to support posts at the Astronaut Center of China, Deng Qingming has served as a backup space crew member for 23 years. He continues to stand ready at his post, available to join a mission at any time.
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18 October 2021
In this week's episode, Jean Deville and Blaine Curcio reflect on 3 main topics: the 100 m VTVL hop test with Deep Blue Aerospace's Nebula-M rocket; the docking of the Shenzhou 13 space craft with the Tianhe core module of the Chinese Space Station and the recent launch of 11 satellites by the CZ-2D.
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18 October 2021
As part of contingency planning, the Shenzhou 14 spacecraft and the CZ-2F Y14 were readied in case of a need to response to emergency. The crewed space ship and rocket could be ready within 8 1/2 days to conduct a rescue mission for the SZ-13 crew. SZ-14 and SZ-13 were built and tested simultaneously and underwent the same preparations at the launch side, apart from being fuelled and transferred to the launch pad. Also, CALT has a list of emergency launch personnel and liaison staff which would report for duty within hours.
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15/16 October 2021
The Shenzhou 13 mission to the Tiangong space station launched in the early morning of the 16 October BJT, marking the start of the China's longest spaceflight. The CZ-2F took off at 00:23 BJT on 16 October (16:23 UTC - 15 October). After entering orbit, the Shenzhou 13 spaceship will dock with the in-orbit combination composed of the space station core module Tianhe and the cargo crafts Tianzhou 2 and Tianzhou 3.
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See-off ceremony held for Chinese astronauts on Shenzhou 13 mission
16 October 2021
Shenzhou 13 spacecraft conducted a fast successful automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe at 6:56 BJT on 16 October. The whole process took approximately 6.5 h. After a series of preparations, Zhai Zhigang opened the hatch of the Tianhe core module. At 9:58 BJT, Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping and Ye Guangfu entered the core module one after the other.
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Short animation of launch and docking of Shenzhou 13 as well as current configuration of Chinese orbital complex.
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Footage of Shenzhou 13 spacecraft in different test facilities
15 October 2021
Commander Zero is the job of leading the launch countdown team and to initiate, supervise and to do the actually count down to ignition for the launch of the Shenzhou 13 crewed mission. Who's the Commander Zero of China's Shenzhou 13 manned spaceship launch mission? What will he do during the launch? Meet Commander Zero before the launch.
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