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Shenzhou 9
Tiangong 1 drawing.png
Diagram depicting Shenzhou 9 (right) docked with Tiangong-1 (left)
Mission duration 12 days, 15 hours and 25 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type Shenzhou
Crew
Crew size 3
Members Jing Haipeng
Liu Wang
Liu Yang
Start of mission
Launch date 16 June 2012, 10:37:24 (2012-06-16UTC10:37:24Z) UTC
Rocket Long March 2F
Launch site Jiuquan LA-4/SLS-1
End of mission
Landing date 29 June 2012, 02:01:16 (2012-06-29UTC02:01:17Z) UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference system Geocentric
Regime Low Earth
Docking with Tiangong-1
Docking date 18 June 2012, 06:07 UTC
Undocking date 24 June 2012, 03:08 UTC
Time docked 3 days, 21 hours, 1 minute
Docking with Tiangong-1
Docking date 24 June 2012, 04:38 UTC
Undocking date 28 June 2012, 01:22 UTC
Time docked 3 days, 20 hours, 44 minutes
Shenzhou 9 crew.jpg
(l-r) Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang, and Liu Yang
Shenzhou program
← Shenzhou 8

Shenzhou 9 (Chinese: 神舟九号) was the fourth crewed spacecraft flight of China's Shenzhou program, launched at 18:37:24 CST (10:37:24 UTC), 16 June 2012. Shenzhou 9 was the second spacecraft and first crewed mission and expedition to dock with the Tiangong-1 space station, which took place on 18 June. The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft landed at 10:01:16 CST (02:01:16 UTC) on 29 June in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The mission's crew included the first Chinese female astronaut, Liu Yang. The next mission was Shenzhou 10, which launched on 11 June 2013.

History

On 12 March 2012, it was announced that the initial crew selection roster for the mission included female astronauts. The crew were unveiled to the press on 15 June. China's first female astronaut would be Liu Yang. Liu was selected ahead of her fellow female astronaut prospect Wang Yaping. This mission also featured the first repeat astronaut, Jing Haipeng, the commander of the mission. Shenzhou 9 was the 9th flight in China's Shenzhou program and the fourth crewed spaceflight. The mission's launch was 49 years to the day after that of the first woman in space, cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova.

Mission preparations

The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft arrived at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the northwestern Gobi Desert on 9 April 2012 and its carrier rocket, the Long March 2F, arrived on 9 May. On 9 June 2012, the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft and its carrier rocket were rolled out to launch pad. On 12 June 2012 underwent system-wide joint exercises, and final health checks were completed the following day.

Expedition ceremony

On 16 June 2012, the expedition ceremony was held at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. National People's Congress Standing Committee Chairman Wu Bangguo attended the ceremony. The astronauts, Liu Wang, Liu Yang, and Jing Haipeng, rode to the launch tower and turned in the entrance with the assistance of support staff.

Mission

The Long March 2F rocket was launched on 16 June 2012 at 10:37 UTC.

Shenzhou 9 docked with China's first space lab Tiangong-1 at 06:07 UTC on 18 June, marking China's first crewed spacecraft rendezvous and docking. This docking was remotely controlled from a ground station. After about 3 hours, when the pressures inside the vessels were equalized, Jing Haipeng entered into Tiangong-1. Six days later, Shenzhou 9 detached from the station and then redocked manually under the control of crew member Liu Wang, making it the first manual docking for the Chinese program.

Shenzhou 9 landed by parachute in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia on 29 June 2012.

Crew

Position Crew member
Commander Jing Haipeng
Second spaceflight
First Chinese astronaut to fly more than once in space
Operator Liu Wang
First spaceflight
Laboratory Assistant Liu Yang
First spaceflight
First Chinese woman in space

Backup crew

The backup crew for the flight was:

Position Crew member
Commander Nie Haisheng
Operator Zhang Xiaoguang
Laboratory Assistant Wang Yaping

The backup crew later became the prime crew for Shenzhou 10.

Mission timeline

9 April 2012
  • Shenzhou 9 space capsule arrives at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
9 May 2012
  • Long March 2F space launcher arrives at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center
9 June 2012
  • Launch stack rolled out to the launch pad
15 June 2012
  • Crew unveiled
16 June 2012
  • Launch, first woman in space for the Chinese program, first repeat traveller for the Chinese program, first crewed mission to a space station for the Chinese program
18 June 2012
  • First crewed rendezvous for the Chinese space program.
  • Automated docking with Tiangong-1, first crewed docking by the Chinese program
24 June 2012
  • Shenzhou 9 undocks with Tiangong-1
  • Shenzhou 9 redocks with Tiangong-1, first manual docking by the Chinese space program, second crewed docking by the program
29 June 2012

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Shenzhou 9 para niños

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