Shenzhou 10 (SZ-10), Long March 2F/G (CZ-2F/G) - Jiuquan - June 2013

[Yoxonaut]

As per the earlier post NK’s news pages are reporting that at a meeting today at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre the prime and back-up crews were approved. I have done a search in both English and Chinese but have not been able to find an original Chinese source for this information.

Does anyone know where NK sourced this information from?

[Liss]

Does anyone know where NK sourced this information from?

I believe it's a conjecture based on the previously known list from the Chinese language Shenzhou 10 entry of Wikipedia.

[Yoxonaut]

Does anyone know where NK sourced this information from?

I believe it's a conjecture based on the previously known list from the Chinese language Shenzhou 10 entry of Wikipedia.

Thank you for this reply.

[Yoxonaut]

Spacefacts, astronaut.ru and Chinese Wiki all show Zhang Xiaoguan’s year of birth as 1968 but did anyone else notice that at the press conference he was said to have been born in May 1966? This is also being shown on NK’s news pages.

Only a few days ago the Shenyang Evening News quoted 1968 but I presume they sourced this from one of the above sites and the new details are correct.

[Lewis007]

Spacefacts, astronaut.ru and Chinese Wiki all show Zhang Xiaoguan’s year of birth as 1968 but did anyone else notice that at the press conference he was said to have been born in May 1966? This is also being shown on NK’s news pages.

Only a few days ago the Shenyang Evening News quoted 1968 but I presume they sourced this from one of the above sites and the new details are correct.

In the crew profile, Xinhua states he was born in May 1966.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/china/2013-06/10/c_132446206.htm

[Ian]

Here it is the Pre-Launch Press Conference:

[EdT]

It's official,  the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft will be launched at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 5:38 p.m. Beijing Time (0938 GMT) on Tuesday June 11 !

[Lewis007]

Video of the 15-minute crew preflight press conference

http://english.cntv.cn/program/newsupdate/20130610/103534.shtml

[Satori]

From Xinhua...

Life cozier in China's space module Tiangong-1.

Newsmaker: China's first teacher in space.

Newsmaker: General ready for second space mission.

[TALsite]

The crew... Wang Yaping.

From this picture, a close-up of the Shenzhou-10 mision patch.  And waiting for a better image.

[Chris Bergin]

Here's Rui's long overview/preview!
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/06/china-launch-three-shenzhou-10/

I may start a new launch thread late tonight/early tomorrow, as this thread is already a long one.

[sittingduck]

Just curious, is this normal?  It begins at T+0:86.

Can be seen to persist in this video beginning at 2:05.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=8XzED_CUhdw#t=125s .

[clongton]

It looks to me like propellant venting. Also if you look carefully it appears to originate at the upper end of the feed line tunnel. I don't think that is nominal. At least it doesn't appear to be to me.

[Galactic Penguin SST]

It looks to me like propellant venting. Also if you look carefully it appears to originate at the upper end of the feed line tunnel. I don't think that is nominal. At least it doesn't appear to be to me.

I have seen this venting on other Chinese launchers before (and also on other hypergolic launchers like the Proton and the Titan). Let me see if I can find a photo of that....

[Zero-G]

Here's Rui's long overview/preview!
http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2013/06/china-launch-three-shenzhou-10/

Very interesting article, but there seem to be some errors in the description of the propulsion systems of the Shenzhou modules:
- The article says that the orbital module "(...) is equipped with a propulsion system comprised of 16 small thrusters, in four groups."
This is correct for the first six Shenzhou spacecraft, Shenzhou-1 to 6, but since Shenzhou-7 there seem to be no such thrusters on the OM anymore.

-The article also states that the service module "(...) is equipped with the Shenzhou main propulsion system that consists of four high-thrust main engines and 24 smaller-thrust control engines."
This describes the SM of SZ-1 to 7, but for the docking missions of SZ-8 to 10, twelve additional small thrusters have been installed, all of them close to the interface between service and descent module. Eight of them are installed in four pairs, pointing their thrust vectors for pitch and yaw control. The other four are installed separately, but close to the roll control thusters, pointing their thrust vectors for translation control, actually providing the ability to slow down on final approach for docking.

See the two pictures below: If you look closely on the first picture, showing SZ-8, you can see some of these thrusters on the SM, close to the DM, without covers.
On the second picture, which is from SZ-9, there are still the red covers on the thrusters.
Also note the lack of thrusters on both OMs...

Also, the article states that the boosters' burn time is 127.26 seconds. This was correct for the original CZ-2F launch vehicle. For the newer CZ-2F/G launch vehicle, the burn time of the boosters has been increased to about 154 seconds (I don't remember the exact number), so the boosters would separate just before first stage sep.

[Satori]

China's space dream crystallized with Shenzhou-10 launch.

President Xi voices congratulations on Shenzhou-10 launch.

[JT355]

I know its early days yet but I am excited about future missions now, Shenzhou 11+. Trouble is, I can't find much info on the net. Most I know is that they might launch Tiangong 2 soon, maybe next year which will be identical to Tiangong 1 but with better life support systems. Next up is the Long March V in 2015 which may allow the launch of the main body of the 2020 space station? Have I got it right? Can the experts help me out here with some kind of roadmap for the next few missions? Thanks 

[Star One]

I know its early days yet but I am excited about future missions now, Shenzhou 11+. Trouble is, I can't find much info on the net. Most I know is that they might launch Tiangong 2 soon, maybe next year which will be identical to Tiangong 1 but with better life support systems. Next up is the Long March V in 2015 which may allow the launch of the main body of the 2020 space station? Have I got it right? Can the experts help me out here with some kind of roadmap for the next few missions? Thanks 

It was my understanding that Tiangong 2 would be larger than 1?

[Satori]

I know its early days yet but I am excited about future missions now, Shenzhou 11+. Trouble is, I can't find much info on the net. Most I know is that they might launch Tiangong 2 soon, maybe next year which will be identical to Tiangong 1 but with better life support systems. Next up is the Long March V in 2015 which may allow the launch of the main body of the 2020 space station? Have I got it right? Can the experts help me out here with some kind of roadmap for the next few missions? Thanks 

It was my understanding that Tiangong 2 would be larger than 1?

Plans have changed and the «old» TG-3 is now TG-2. There will be no TG-2 as previously predicted. TG-2 will have two docking ports and will be serviced by a cargo vehicle based on TG-1.

[Ben the Space Brit]

I know its early days yet but I am excited about future missions now, Shenzhou 11+. Trouble is, I can't find much info on the net. Most I know is that they might launch Tiangong 2 soon, maybe next year which will be identical to Tiangong 1 but with better life support systems. Next up is the Long March V in 2015 which may allow the launch of the main body of the 2020 space station? Have I got it right? Can the experts help me out here with some kind of roadmap for the next few missions? Thanks 

It was my understanding that Tiangong 2 would be larger than 1?

Plans have changed and the «old» TG-3 is now TG-2. There will be no TG-2 as previously predicted. TG-2 will have two docking ports and will be serviced by a cargo vehicle based on TG-1.

So Tiangong-2 is the long-predicted Mir/Salut-6/-7 analogue?