China to Launch New Generation of Crewed Spaceship in 2026

China will launch its new generation of crewed spaceship, Mengzhou-1, in 2026, marking a significant milestone in the country's space program. Developed through a comprehensive upgrade from the Shenzhou crewed spaceship, Mengzhou is designed to provide transport between Earth and the space station. The spaceship will adopt a modular design, comprising a return capsule and a service capsule, and will make its maiden flight atop the Long March-10A carrier rocket. The maiden flight will dock with the radial port of the space station's core module, verifying the performance of the spaceship's overall systems while delivering essential supplies and experiment devices.

Key Takeaways:

• The Mengzhou-1 crewed spaceship will be developed through a comprehensive upgrade from the Shenzhou crewed spaceship, featuring a modular design with a return capsule and a service capsule.
• The spaceship will provide transport between Earth and the space station, with a maiden flight planned to dock with the radial port of the space station's core module.
• The tasks of the two crewed spaceflight missions will include conducting extravehicular activities, delivering and retrieving payloads through the cargo airlock, continuing space science experiments and technology tests, managing space station systems, carrying out crew-support tasks, and performing education-outreach activities.
• China will launch the Shenzhou-22 and Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China next year, each carrying a crew of three astronauts.
• The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will dock with the radial port of the space station's core module, while Shenzhou-23 will dock with the front port.
• One astronaut of the Shenzhou-22 crew will stay in orbit for a long-duration residency experiment lasting more than one year.

Statistics:

• China will launch the Mengzhou-1 crewed spaceship in 2026.
• The spaceship will make its maiden flight atop the Long March-10A carrier rocket.
• The Long March-10A carrier rocket will be launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in southern Hainan Province.
• The Mengzhou-1 crewed spaceship will provide transport between Earth and the space station, with a capacity for delivering essential supplies and experiment devices.
• China will launch the Shenzhou-22 and Shenzhou-23 crewed spacecraft next year, each carrying a crew of three astronauts.
• The Shenzhou-22 spacecraft will dock with the radial port of the space station's core module, while Shenzhou-23 will dock with the front port.
• One astronaut of the Shenzhou-22 crew will stay in orbit for a long-duration residency experiment lasting more than one year.

Sources:

• People's Republic of China -- State Council News
• China Manned Space Agency (CMSA)