.jpg) Launch of Shenzhou 12 on aLong March 2F | |
| Mission type | Tiangong space station crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | China Manned Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2021-053A |
| SATCATno. | 48852 |
| Mission duration | 92 days, 4 hours and 11 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft | Shenzhou 12 |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members | Nie Haisheng Liu Boming Tang Hongbo |
| EVAs | 2 |
| EVA duration | 12 hours 41 minutes[1] |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 17 June 2021, 01:22:27UTC[2] |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan,SLS-1 |
| Contractor | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 17 September 2021, 05:34 UTC |
| Landing site | Inner Mongolia, China |
| Orbital parameters | |
| Reference system | Geocentric orbit |
| Regime | Low Earth orbit |
| Inclination | 41.5° |
| Docking withTiangong space station | |
| Docking port | Tianhe forward |
| Docking date | 17 June 2021, 07:54 UTC[3] |
| Undocking date | 16 September 2021, 00:56 UTC[4] |
| Time docked | 90 days, 17 hours and 2 minutes |
 Shenzhou 12 mission patch  Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming | |
Shenzhou 12 (Chinese:神舟十二号;pinyin:Shénzhōu shí'èr hào;lit. 'Divine Boat Number 12') was a Chinese spaceflight to theTiangong space station, launched on 17 June 2021. It carried threePeople's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC)taikonauts on board aShenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the seventh crewed Chinese spaceflight and the twelfth flight overall of theShenzhou program. It was the first flight to Tiangong, and the first Chinese crewed spaceflight sinceShenzhou 11 in 2016.[5]
Shenzhou 12 was originally planned as the second mission to visit the experimental, single-moduleTiangong-2 space station, followingShenzhou 11. In 2016, plans for a second mission to Tiangong-2 were cancelled, and Shenzhou 12 was instead designated as the first crewed mission to the larger modularTiangong space station, whose first module, theTianhe core module, was launched on 29 April 2021.[6]
The crew of Shenzhou 12 was announced on 16 June 2021.[7]
The flight launched fromJiuquan Satellite Launch Center on 17 June 2021 at 01:22 UTC, following the launch of theTianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft.[8] Just over 6.5 hours after launch, the spacecraft docked with theTianhe core module's forward docking port. The crew entered the station later that same day at 10:48 UTC, becoming the first crew to visit Tiangong.[2]
During the mission, theShenzhou 13 spacecraft remained on standby to serve as an emergency rescue vehicle.[9]
The Shenzhou 12 crew activated the station, carried out twospacewalks, and verified key technologies such asrobotic arm operation, resource recycling, and long-term life support during the three-month mission.[10][2]
On 4 July 2021, the first of two scheduled spacewalks was carried out by Liu Boming and Tang Hongbo. The taikonauts tested an updated version of theFeitian space suit, completed installation of the station's robotic arm, and installed exterior equipment for use on future missions, including a camera lifting bracket.[11] This marked the second ever Chinese spacewalk, afterZhai Zhigang's spacewalk nearly 13 years prior onShenzhou 7. The spacewalk lasted for 6 hours and 46 minutes.[12]
On 20 August 2021, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming carried out the second scheduled spacewalk of the mission. The two tested spacecraft equipment, installed a backup thermal control pump, and installed and raised panoramic camera D on theTianhe core module. The spacewalk lasted for 5 hours and 55 minutes.[13][14]
Shenzhou 12 undocked from Tiangong on 16 September 2021 at 00:56 UTC. Following undocking, the spacecraft performed a test of radial rendezvous procedures which would be utilized on the following mission,Shenzhou 13.[4] After a successful test, Shenzhou 12 departed the station and returned to Earth on 17 September 2021, landing at the Dongfeng landing site in theGobi Desert inInner Mongolia at 05:34 UTC.[15]
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Nie Haisheng,PLAACThird spaceflight | |
| Operator | Liu Boming, PLAAC Second spaceflight | |
| System Operator | Tang Hongbo, PLAAC First spaceflight | |
Nie Haisheng previously flew onShenzhou 6 andShenzhou 10.
Liu Boming previously flew onShenzhou 7.[16]
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander | Zhai Zhigang,PLAAC | |
| Operator | Wang Yaping, PLAAC | |
| System Operator | Ye Guangfu, PLAAC | |
The backup crew of Shenzhou 12 would fly to the Tiangong space station as the crew ofShenzhou 13 in October 2021.[17]
Media related toShenzhou-12 at Wikimedia Commons| Components |
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