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China has deployed a rocket to the platform to send three desert astronauts to its new central module at the Tianhe space station, although the launch date remains a mystery.
A 62-meter-high Long March 2F rocket was transferred vertically to the platform of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert early Thursday (October 7).
At the top of the rocket is the Shenzhou 13 spacecraft which will carry the three astronauts into orbit. Visible atop the payload fairing is an exhaust launch system that can quickly pull the spacecraft away from the rocket in an emergency at the start of flight.
Related: The latest news from the Chinese space program
The crew has not yet been announced but is expected to be the backup crew for the Shenzhou 12 mission.
If correct, it would see astronauts Zhai Zhigang, Wang Yaping, and Ye Guangfu flying to the Tianhe space station module, which launched in April and has so far hosted a three-month crewed mission. It would be Ye’s first flight; Wang would become the first female astronaut to visit Tianhe.
The mission launch window, however, has yet to be announced. The take-off will coincide with a passage of Tianhe over Jiuquan, allowing Shenzhou 13 to catch up and dock the module a few hours later. Airspace closure notices can be the first clear signal to start the mission.
Once aboard the 16.6m-long Tianhe module, the crew is expected to stay for up to six months as part of the construction and verification phase of the Chinese space station project. The visit would double China’s current manned space flight mission time record, which was recently set by Shenzhou 12.
Tianzhou 3, a cargo spacecraft, docked in Tianhe on September 20, delivering nearly 13,230 pounds (6,000 kilograms) of supplies, provisions, experiments and equipment for the Shenzhou 13 mission.
The mission’s rocket is the 13th Long March 2F. It is the first in China to be prepared for both the emergency rescue and the launch. The rocket had been assembled vertically and almost ready in Jiuquan since the launch of Shenzhou 12 in June. It could have been launched on short notice in an orbit emergency.
“The advantage of vertical transfer is that the rocket and spacecraft could retain their technical status after testing in the technical field, thus minimizing the state transition while saving the time to prepare for testing to the area. launch, “Liu Feng, deputy chief designer of Long 2F Rocket, told CCTV.
Chinese space observers also remark in press release photos released by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) that the next Long March 2F, for Shenzhou 14, had been assembled in the Jiuquan vertical integration building, meaning it will be on hold in case of emergency.
The launch site facilities are in good repair, according to CMSA. Pre-launch function checks and joint rocket and spacecraft testing will be carried out as part of the launch preparations.
The mission will be the fifth of 11 missions planned to build the Chinese space station. Two new modules, named Mengtian and Wentian, will be launched and will join Tianhe in orbit in 2022.
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