 Liftoff of Shenzhou 18. | |
| Mission type | Tiangong space station crew transport |
|---|---|
| Operator | China Manned Space Agency |
| COSPAR ID | 2024-078A |
| SATCATno. | 59591 |
| Mission duration | 192 days, 4 hours and 25 minutes |
| Spacecraft properties | |
| Spacecraft type | Shenzhou |
| Manufacturer | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation |
| Crew | |
| Crew size | 3 |
| Members | Ye Guangfu Li Cong Li Guangsu |
| EVAs | 2 |
| EVA duration | 14 hours 55 minutes |
| Start of mission | |
| Launch date | 25 April 2024, 12:59:00 UTC (20:59 CST)[1] |
| Rocket | Long March 2F |
| Launch site | Jiuquan,LA-4/SLS-1 |
| Contractor | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology |
| End of mission | |
| Landing date | 3 November 2024, 17:24 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 nadir |
| Docking date | 25 April 2024, 19:32 UTC |
| Undocking date | 3 November 2024, 08:12 UTC |
| Time docked | 191 days, 12 hours and 40 minutes |
 Mission patch  Li Guangsu, Li Cong and Ye Guangfu | |
Shenzhou 18 (Chinese:神舟十八号;pinyin:Shénzhōu Shíbā-hào;lit. 'Divine Boat Number 18') was a Chinese spaceflight to theTiangong space station, launched on 25 April 2024. It carried threePeople's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC)taikonauts on board aShenzhou spacecraft. The mission was the thirteenth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the eighteenth flight overall of theShenzhou program.[2]
The three crew members in this mission contributed to breaking the record for the most people (19) simultaneously in orbit, set after theSoyuz MS-26 mission launched on 11 September with its three crew members, along with the four crew members of the privatePolaris Dawn mission launched on 10 September, and the nine crew members on theInternational Space Station.
Shenzhou 18 is the seventh flight to theTiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately 6 months. It will depart following the arrival of theShenzhou 19 crew.
The crew of Shenzhou 18 was announced on April 24, 2024.[3]
The mission launched fromJiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board aLong March 2F rocket on 25 April 2024 at 12:59:00 UTC (20:59 China Standard Time), near the end of the Shenzhou 17 mission. Approximately 6.5 hours after launch, the spacecraft docked at the nadir port of the station'sTianhe core module.[4]
On 28 May 2024, Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu carried out China's longestspacewalk to date, exiting the airlock of theWentian lab module and spending approximately 8.5 hours installingspace debris protection shields and inspecting the exterior of the station.[5]
Another spacewalk was conducted on 3 July 2024, during which Ye Guangfu and Li Cong installed further space debris protection shields on pipelines, cables, and other equipment.[6]
Shenzhou 18 successfully returned to Earth at 17:24 UTC on 3 November 2024.[7]
| Position | Crew member | |
|---|---|---|
| Commander |  Ye Guangfu,PLAACSecond spaceflight | |
| Operator | Li Cong, PLAAC First spaceflight | |
| System Operator | Li Guangsu, PLAAC First spaceflight | |
Commander Ye Guangfu is the second person to visit the station twice, having previously flown to Tiangong onShenzhou 13.[3]
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