Shenzhou 14

Roll out of Shenzhou 14
Mission type	Tiangong Space Station crew transport
COSPAR ID	2022-060A
SATCAT no.	52797
Mission duration	180 days (planned) 49 days, 22 hours and 20 minutes (elapsed)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Shenzhou 14
Spacecraft type	Shenzhou
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Crew
Crew size	3
Members	Chen Dong Liu Yang Cai Xuzhe
Start of mission
Launch date	5 June 2022, 02:44:10 UTC[1]
Rocket	Long March 2F
Launch site	Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS
Contractor	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
End of mission
Landing date	December 2022 (planned)[2]
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 Nadir
Docking date	5 June 2022, 09:42 UTC
Time docked	49 days, 15 hours and 22 minutes
Shenzhou 14 mission patch Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang Shenzhou programme ← Shenzhou 13 Shenzhou 15 →   Tiangong program ← Tianzhou 4 Wentian module →

Shenzhou 14 (Chinese: 神舟十四号; pinyin: Shénzhōu Shísì-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 14') is a Chinese spaceflight that launched on 5 June 2022 at 02:44 UTC. The flight marks the ninth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the fourteenth flight of the Shenzhou program. The spacecraft carries three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on the third flight to the Tianhe core module, the first module of the Tiangong space station.^[3] The launch of the three-person crew with a Long March-2F launch vehicle took place from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

Background

The spaceflight is the second of the upcoming missions set to last six months (180 days).^[4] After that, the six-month stay aboard the space station will become the normal duration of the astronaut crew in orbit.^[5] The flight marks the third of four crewed missions scheduled to dock with the Tiangong space station by the end of construction in 2022.^[6]

Mission

The mission is visiting the Tianhe core module following the launch and docking of Tianzhou 4, the third resupply mission to the station. The crew are expected to assist with the assembly of the Wentian and Mengtian laboratories, which are scheduled to arrive at Tiangong in July and October respectively.^[7] The Shenzhou 15 crew is scheduled to arrive 10 days before Shenzhou 14 departs, which means that the Shenzhou 14 mission marks the beginning of keeping the station permanently inhabited.^[8]

The crew saluted while entering the Tianhe core module later on 5 June 2022, at 12:50 UTC as the third expedition to the Tiangong space station.

At least three spacewalks are planned to occur during the crew's approximately six-month stay in orbit. Shenzhou 15 will be on standby for any possible rescue mission.^[9]

Spacecraft

Diagram of a Shenzhou spacecraft

Shenzhou 14 spacecraft is based heavily on Soyuz MS technology. Shenzhou was approved in 1992 as part of the Chinese space program Project 921, and has a design similar to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft.^{[citation needed]}

In the front of the spacecraft, there is the orbital module which contains an androgynous docking ring based on APAS technology, which is used to dock to the Tianhe core module. In the middle is the reentry module containing the crew which is a scaled-up version of the Soyuz descent module. The rear of the spacecraft is the service module which is equipped with engines, fuel tanks, and solar panels.^[10]

Crew

The crew was publicly announced in a press conference on 4 June 2022. Each crew member saluted when introduced, as is required by all taikonauts. ^[11]

Senior Colonel Chen Dong is a veteran of Shenzhou 11. Senior Colonel Liu Yang previously flew on Shenzhou 9, becoming the first Chinese woman in space. Senior Colonel Cai Xuzhe makes his first flight to space. By the time Shenzhou 14 completes the 180-day mission, Chen will have spent about 213 days in space, setting a new record for a Chinese astronaut.

Position[12]	Crew member
Commander	Chen Dong, PLAAC Second spaceflight
Operator	Liu Yang, PLAAC Second spaceflight
System Operator	Cai Xuzhe, PLAAC First spaceflight