This is the sixth crewed mission for China's Shenzhou program. Shenzhou-11 will carry two taikonauts, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, to the Tiangong-2 space station launched earlier in the year. The taikonauts will stay in Tiangong-2 for 30 days.
The Long March 2F is a Chinese orbital carrier rocket, part of the Long March 2 rocket family. Designed to launch the crewed Shenzhou spacecraft, the Long March 2F is a human-rated two-stage version of the Long March 2E rocket, which in turn was based on the Long March 2C launch vehicle. It is launched from complex SLS at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Long March 2F/G version includes longer boosters for increased lift capability, among other improvements.
Shenzhou 11 was a crewed spaceflight of the Shenzhou program of China, launched on 17 October 2016 (16 October UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. It was China's sixth crewed space mission. Two days after launch, it docked with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, which had been launched on September 15, 2016.
Shenzhou Details
Date of
Birth: Oct. 24, 1966
Age: 59
Date of
Birth: Dec. 12, 1978
Age: 47
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) is the main contractor for the Chinese space program. It is state-owned and has a number of subordinate entities which design, develop and manufacture a range of spacecraft, launch vehicles, strategic and tactical missile systems, and ground equipment. It was officially established in July 1999 as part of a Chinese government reform drive, having previously been one part of the former China Aerospace Corporation. Various incarnations of the program date back to 1956.
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