Shenzhou 17 facts for kids
Shenzhou 17 atop a Long March 2F prior to launch
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| Mission type | Tiangong space station crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | China Manned Space Agency |
| Mission duration | 187 days, 6 hours and 32 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members | Tang Hongbo Tang Shengjie Jiang Xinlin |
| EVAs | 2 |
| EVA duration | 15 hours 17 minutes |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 26 October 2023, 03:14:02 UTC |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS |
| Contractor | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 30 April 2024, 09:46 UTC |
| Landing site | Inner Mongolia, China |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Inclination | 41.5° |
| Docking with Tiangong space station | |
| Docking port | Tianhe forward |
| Docking date | 26 October 2023, 09:46 UTC |
| Undocking date | 30 April 2024, 00:43 UTC |
| Time docked | 186 days, 14 hours and 57 minutes |
 Jiang Xinlin, Tang Hongbo and Tang Shengjie China Manned Space Program
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Shenzhou 17 (which means "Divine Boat Number 17" in Chinese) was a special space trip from China. It launched on October 26, 2023. The mission's goal was to send three Chinese astronauts, called taikonauts, to the Tiangong space station.
This flight was the twelfth time China sent people into space. It was also the seventeenth flight in the whole Shenzhou program. The crew of Shenzhou 17 was the youngest ever to visit the Tiangong space station. Their average age was just 38 years old.
About the Mission
Shenzhou 17 was the sixth space mission to the Tiangong space station. The journey lasted for a bit more than six months.
The spacecraft was ready for launch in April 2023. It was kept prepared in case it was needed as a rescue ship for the crew of Shenzhou 16. The names of the Shenzhou 17 crew were shared with the public on October 25, 2023.
What Happened on the Mission
The Shenzhou 17 mission began on October 26, 2023. It launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 9:46 AM UTC. This was close to the end of the Shenzhou 16 mission.
About 6.5 hours after launching, the spacecraft connected with the front part of the Tianhe core module of the space station. After docking, the new crew went inside the station. The Shenzhou 16 crew welcomed them. Both crews spent four days together before the Shenzhou 16 team left. They even sent a live message to Mission Control, which was shown on Chinese TV.
The mission finished on April 30, 2024, at 9:46 AM UTC. The spacecraft landed safely near the launch site in Inner Mongolia, China.
Spacewalks
The Shenzhou 17 crew performed two spacewalks during their mission. Spacewalks are when astronauts leave the spacecraft to work outside in space.
- On December 21, 2023, Tang Hongbo and Tang Shengjie did the first spacewalk. They left the Wentian lab module. Their main job was to test repairs on the Tianhe core module's solar panels. These panels had small damage from tiny space bits and dust. This spacewalk lasted for 7 hours and 25 minutes.
- On March 2, 2024, Tang Hongbo and Jiang Xinlin did the second spacewalk. They also left from the Wentian lab module. They worked on the Tianhe core module's solar panels again. They checked how well the panels were making power. They also looked closely at the other parts of the space station. This spacewalk lasted for 7 hours and 52 minutes.
The Crew
| Position | Crew member | |
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| Commander |  Tang Hongbo, CMSASecond spaceflight |
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| Operator | Tang Shengjie, CMSA First spaceflight |
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| System Operator | Jiang Xinlin, CMSA First spaceflight |
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The Shenzhou 17 crew was the youngest group to fly to the Tiangong space station. The Commander, Tang Hongbo, was 48 years old. The other two taikonauts, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, were 34 and 35 years old when they flew.
Tang Hongbo is also the first person to visit the Tiangong space station two times. He was part of the Shenzhou 12 mission before. Tang Shengjie is the youngest taikonaut ever to do a spacewalk.
See Also
- Shenzhou (spacecraft)
- Tiangong space station
- List of Tiangong space station spacewalks
