China launches Shenzhou 17 spacecraft: What is the personnel’s task?

The manned spacecraft Shenzhou-17 successfully embarked on its mission towards the Chinese Tianhe orbital space station, the South China Morning Post reported.

The launch of the carrier rocket, Changzheng-2F, took place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu province, northwest China, precisely at 11:14 local time (07:14 Yerevan time). Onboard the spacecraft are three experienced astronauts, Tan Hongbo, Tan Shenzhe, and Jiang Xinlin, who are set to spend approximately six months in orbit, as reported by Xinhua.

As part of the mission's plan, Shenzhou-17 is scheduled to dock with the Tianhe space station just 6.5 hours after a successful launch. This marks the 12th manned mission for China in space, underlining China's commitment to active space exploration.

Among the astronauts' crucial tasks aboard the Tianhe station is the repair of the station's solar panels, which suffered damage from small space debris that had found its way into the station's orbit, according to SCMP.

It's important to note that in May of this year, China successfully launched the manned spacecraft "Shenzhou-16" to the Tianhe orbital space station with three astronauts on board. They are set to depart from the station on October 31st and return to Earth, marking the beginning of a rotation with a new crew.