Spacecraft type Shenzhou Launch site Jiuquan LA-4/SLS Mission duration 1.1 months Dates 16 Oct 2016 – 18 Nov 2016 Crew size 2 | Manufacturer CASC Landing site Inner Mongolia Mission duration 1.1 months Rocket Long March 2F Members Jing Haipeng, Chen Dong | |
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Launch date 17 October 2016, 0730 China time Landing date 18 November 2016 (China Time) Operator China National Space Administration (CNSA) | ||
Shenzhou 11 was a manned spaceflight of the Shenzhou program of China, launched on 17 October 2016 (16 October UTC) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. It was China's sixth manned space mission. Two days after launch, it docked with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, which had been launched on September 15, 2016.
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Crew
The crew consisted of two astronauts.
The mission selected two crew instead of three to extend supplies to increase mission length for their long duration stay.
Mission
The Shenzhou 11 launched at 07:30 on 17 October 2016 local time (23:30 UTC on 16 October) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 2F launch rocket.
The mission's main objective is to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory and gain experience from a 30-day residence, and to test its life-support systems. The Tianzhou 1 cargo vehicle will also dock with the station to deliver supplies.
In the two days after the launch, it has changed its orbit five times to arrive 52 kilometers behind the Tiangong-2 space lab. It autonomously rendezvoused and docked with Tiangong-2 at 3:24 p.m. EDT in October 18, 2016, while both spacecraft were at an altitude of 393 km (244 mi).
The crew landed successfully after the 33-day mission on 18 November 2016.The reentry module of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft landed in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia around 2:15 pm (China time) after undocking from the space lab on 17 November.