Launch News Shenzhou 9, Long March 2F, June 16, 2012 (mission updates)

[Cosmic Penguin]

Official news: launch is scheduled at 10:37 UTC tomorrow. The crew will consists of Jing Haipeng, Liu Yang and Liu Wang.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Official news: launch is scheduled at 10:37 UTC tomorrow. The crew will consists of Jing Haipeng, Liu Yang and Liu Wang.

With the identity of the crew now known, we now have photos of the countdown test!

 

[sitha241]

What is that room/module on picture before last one?is that tiangong mockup?it has lots of cameras inside..privacy on station=0

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

What is that room/module on picture before last one?is that tiangong mockup?it has lots of cameras inside..privacy on station=0

Yeah... looks like a ground trainer. As for privacy..... well I'm not sure there are any privacy on the Soyuz/Space Shuttle/ISS either. :lol:

More training photos:

 

[orb]

Universe Today: China to Send Its First Woman to Space on June 16

SPACE.com:

• China Unveils Astronaut Crew, 1st Female Spaceflyer, for Saturday Launch
  
  
• Who Is China's First Female Astronaut?
  
  
• Shenzhou 9 Explained: China's 1st Female Astronaut Heads to Space Lab (Infographic)
  
  

Discovery News: Meet China's First Female Astronaut: Big Pic

 

[orb]

collectSPACE: Dragons star on mission patch for China's first crewed space docking

SPACE.com: Dragons Star on Mission Patch for China's 1st Crewed Space Docking

[table="width=200"]

China's crew patch for Shenzhou 9, the nation's first mission to attempt a piloted docking between two spacecraft. (Xinhua)[/table]​

 

[Yoda]

This is truly exciting to watch a new nation take it's baby steps in manned space flight !
I really hope they do well and will be able to make it to a manned moonlanding soon ( God knows we're not going anywere but LEO for the next few decades !)
God's speed China ! :thumbup:

 

[statisticsnerd]

Even if they go to to the Moon one day, we were there first.

 

[Yoda]

Even if they go to to the Moon one day, we were there first.

And ??? Your point beeing ???
We planted a flag and collected some rocks OVER 40 YEARS AGO !!
Doesn't matter whom was there first; it does however matter who is commited enough to leave low earth orbit and advance their space program beyond earth in modern day, which we as a nation of herd animals are obviously not !

This however is off topic and should be discussed elsewhere.

Kudo's to the Chinese !

 

[Codz]

Even if they go to to the Moon one day, we were there first.

Okay? How is that at all relevant to this mission?

---------- Post added at 06:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 04:29 AM ----------

I believe the Chinese television coverage has started.

http://english.cntv.cn/live/

 

[mojoey]

It may have been just me, but that link quality is horrible. Anyone have a different link?

 

[Codz]

It's only english coverage that I know of.

---------- Post added at 08:05 AM ---------- Previous post was at 07:54 AM ----------

The astronauts are about to enter the spacecraft.

 

[sitha241]

It wont play to me

 

[Codz]

The Chinese closeout crew is now tending to the astronauts.

---------- Post added at 08:22 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:10 AM ----------

One of the astronauts is now aboard.

---------- Post added at 08:29 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:22 AM ----------

All astronauts have now entered their seats in the capsule.

---------- Post added at 09:57 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:29 AM ----------

Launch gantry is being pulled away.

---------- Post added at 10:13 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:57 AM ----------

The hatch is closed and the crew arm is away.

 

[Fabri91]

Good live-feed here: http://rt.com/on-air/china-launch-first-manned-mission/

 

[Codz]

Thank you! I was basically watching a slideshow with the CCTV broadcast.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

T-5 minutes

 

[Codz]

The crew has sealed their helmets.

---------- Post added at 10:37 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:34 AM ----------

Liftoff!

---------- Post added at 10:39 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:37 AM ----------

Tower jet.

---------- Post added at 10:40 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:39 AM ----------

Strapon booster separation.

---------- Post added at 10:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:40 AM ----------

Fairing separation.

---------- Post added at 10:44 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:41 AM ----------

First stage booster separation.

---------- Post added at 10:47 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 AM ----------

Spacecraft separation!

---------- Post added at 10:48 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:47 AM ----------

Congratulations to the Chinese Space Program and the crew!

---------- Post added at 10:50 AM ---------- Previous post was at 10:48 AM ----------

Solar panel deployment and a weightless notebook!

 

[Loru]

Congratulations! Looked like flawless lift-off

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Well it looks like another clean launch.... if the Chinese offers their manned spaceflight system on the commercial market, I would choose them over Dragon/CST-100/Dreamchaser/Soyuz (because the Chinese are definitely more scared of a failure than the Russians :shifty.... :LOL!: