Shenzhou
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2011
First Flight : October 15, 2003
Total Production : 17
| Model | Status | Year | Produced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhou | Active | 2011 | 17 |
Shenzhou
Group : Spaceships
Status : Active
Origin : 
China
Initial Operational Capability (IOC) : 2011
First Flight : October 15, 2003
Total Production : 17
The Shenzhou, 'Divine Ship of the Gods' in English, is a modular, expendable, spacecraft developed and operated by the People's Republic of China to support its manned space program. It was developed in the 1990s and early 2000s with the first manned test launch (Shenzhou 5) completed on October 15, 2003. Four previous unmanned test flights were carried out in 1999 (1), 2001 (1) and 2002 (2). The second manned flight (Shenzhou 6) was carried out on October 12, 2005. The third flight (Shenzhou 7) carried out on September 25, 2008, involved the first spacewalk of two members of a crew of three-man. The Shenzhou spacecraft is launched by a Long March 2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The Shenzhou 8 due to launch in 2011 is expected to become the final design of the spacecraft encompassing all the improvements which lacked in the previous spacecrafts.
The Shenzhou spacecraft is similar to the Russian Soyuz. It has three modules: orbital module in the forefront, re-entry module in the middle and service module in the aft. The main difference is that the orbital module has its own propulsion, control systems and solar panels. The orbital module is designed to accommodate the crew during their mission in orbit. The re-entry module is the only section designed to return to the Earth's surface. The service module contains the engines, solar panels and instruments.
China is preparing the Tiangong-1 space module scheduled for launch in 2011 to create its first space station along with three Shenzhou spacecrafts (8, 9 and 10). In 2012 the new space station will receive the first spacecraft replacement docking with the Shenzhou 11.
Operators
| Country | Status | State | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | Active | 17 |
Specifications
| Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Crew | 3 | |
| Dimensions | ||
| Diameter | 2.8 meter | |
| Length | 9.3 meter | |
| Solar Panel Span | 17 meter | |
| Mass | ||
| Max Takeoff Weight | 7,840 kilogram | |
| Performance | ||
| Orbit | 341 kilometer | |
| Time | ||
| Mission Endurance | 20 day | |
| Service Life | 20 day | |
Listing
| Spacecraft | Status | Com | Decom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shenzhou V |
Decommissioned | October 15, 2003 | October 29, 2003 |
| Shenzhou VI |
Decommissioned | October 12, 2005 | October 17, 2005 |
| Shenzhou VII |
Decommissioned | September 25, 2008 | October 2008 |
| Shenzhou VIII |
Decommissioned | November 1, 2011 | |
| Shenzhou IX |
Decommissioned | 2012 | |
| Shenzhou X |
Decommissioned | June 11, 2013 | June 26, 2013 |
| Shenzhou XI |
Decommissioned | October 17, 2016 | November 2016 |
| Shenzhou XII |
Decommissioned | June 17, 2021 | 2022 |
| Shenzhou XIII |
Decommissioned | October 16, 2021 | April 16, 2022 |
| Shenzhou XIV |
Decommissioned | June 5, 2022 | |
| Shenzhou XV |
Decommissioned | November 29, 2022 | |
| Shenzhou XVI |
Decommissioned | May 30, 2023 | |
| Shenzhou XVII |
Decommissioned | October 26, 2023 | April 30, 2024 |
| Shenzhou XVIII |
Decommissioned | April 28, 2024 | November 4, 2024 |
| Shenzhou XIX |
Decommissioned | October 30, 2024 | April 30, 2025 |
| Shenzhou 20 |
Active | April 24, 2025 | |
| Shenzhou 21 |
Planned | October 2025 |
News
WENCHANG, Hainan, April 29 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday sent into space the core module of its space station, kicking off a series of key launch missions that aim to complete
BEIJING, June 23 (ChinaMil) -- Chinese space tracking ship Yuanwang-7 set sail on June 9 for another maritime space monitoring and control mission.
Photo Gallery
Notes
State Latest Known holdings/Original Procurement
Com - Date of Commissioning
Decom - Date of Decommissioning
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