(YouTube / CNSA)
The descent module of the Shenzhou-12 manned spacecraft made a successful landing in the Gobi Desert.
Thus, the first crew of the new Chinese orbital station completed their flight and returned to Earth.
The creation of the Chinese modular orbital station began at the end of April this year, when the main Tianhe module was sent into orbit.
The creation of the three-module station should be completed in November 2022, during that time, four cargo and four manned spacecraft will be sent to it.
According to the plans, the station will be able to operate for 10-15 years in near-earth orbit.
The first to fly to Tianhe was the cargo ship Tianzhou-2, which delivered supplies and cargo for the first crew of the station, who arrived in mid-June on the ship Shenzhou-12.
In total, the three taikonauts stayed in orbit for a little over 92 days, setting a new record for China.
During this time, they managed to check the operation of the module's systems and install equipment for further work
For example, they worked on the refrigeration unit, a centrifuge and a device for experiments with magnetic levitation.
They also conducted a number of studies, took photographs of the Earth and made two spacewalks.
On September 16, 2021, the Shenzhou-12 undocked from the Tianhe, and the next morning, the capsule made a soft landing at a calculated location in the Gobi Desert in Inner Mongolia.
The Tianzhou-2 cargo ship is expected to be launched on September 20, and the second crew will arrive at the Tianhe in early October on the Shenzhou-13 ship.
Two laboratory modules Wentian and Mengtian will go into space in May-June and August-September next year.
Source:
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