Shenzhou-17 highlights: A new chapter of China Space Station adventure

China's Shenzhou-17 taikonauts have successfully concluded their six-month journey and are returning to Earth on Tuesday. The trio is known as the country's youngest lineup by average age, with Commander Tang Hongbo at 48, Operator Tang Shengjie at 34 and Operator Jiang Xinlin at 35, since the China Space Station (CSS) construction began, according to the China Manned Space Agency. 

The Shenzhou-17 mission is the second manned spacecraft launched by China last year after the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft, marking the 30th flight mission of China's manned space program and the 12th manned mission of the program.

The Shenzhou-17 crew carried out two extravehicular activities, completing China's first-ever extravehicular repair mission. The trio have also carried out 84 in-orbit experiments and tests for space application, producing more than 200 samples in multiple fields, such as space life science and biotechnology, space medicine and space material science. The crew will deliver the samples for scientific studies, potentially leading to significant scientific advancements.

The mission logo

The logo of the Shenzhou-17 manned mission was released last March along with the mission logos of the Shenzhou-16 manned mission and the Tianzhou-6 mission. It was the first open logo solicitation of China's manned space program.

The Shenzhou-17 logo is designed by Tan Haoyu, a postgraduate student at Sichuan Fine Arts Institute. It has a balanced composition with the forward docking port of the spacecraft shown in the center. The tail flame of the spacecraft is combined with the number "17," producing a powerful visual impact symbolizing the vigorous development of China's manned space program.

The rocket and spacecraft

The Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft was sent into space onboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket. The rocket measures about 60 meters in length and over 3 meters in diameter. It is equipped with four boosters and has a takeoff weight of around 480 tonnes.

The rocket is a remarkable feat of technology. Compared with the rocket used for the previous missions, Chinese space engineers have made a total of 25 technical changes, mainly improving reliability and safety, and optimizing the whole working process at the launch site.

The Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft consists of three modules: the return, the orbital and the propelling modules. It is the second of the new batch of the Shenzhou series, which started with the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft.

Compared with previous batches, the current batch has seen qualitative leaps in design and production, including using domestically made key components that make the spacecraft more independent and controllable.

Entering the China Space Station

The Shenzhou-17 taikonauts entered the China Space Station last October, starting a new round of in-orbit handover with the Shenzhou-16 taikonauts.

The spaceship made a fast, automated rendezvous and docked with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe on the same day, according to the China Manned Space Agency. The Shenzhou-16 crew opened the hatch of the airlock module and welcomed the Shenzhou-17 crew with hugs. Later on, they entered the core module of the space station.

The two crew teams took a group photo and sent their best wishes to Earth.

Shenzhou-17 crew commander Tang was one of the first taikonauts to enter the newly-built CSS in 2021 and returned only two years later to see how the station has expanded from one module to three. This makes him the Chinese taikonaut with the shortest interval between two missions by far.

First extravehicular experimental maintenance

The tasks of the Shenzhou-17 crew included extravehicular activities, space science experiments and technological tasks, routine work of platform management and space lectures.

Among their tasks, the Shenzhou-17 crew undertook a "very challenging task" for the first time: extravehicular experimental maintenance.

Ahead of the mission, Liang Guozhu, professor at the School of Astronautics of Beihang University, told China Media Group that "there will be some small scratches outside the space station due to the impact of space debris. Though such scratches were considered when designed, we still need to perform regular maintenance to ensure the long-term use and service life of the space station, just like cars."

During the 7.5-hour-long extravehicular activity, Shenzhou-17 commander Tang Hongbo along with crew members Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin cooperated closely with the ground staff and used robotic arms to complete repairing the solar panels on the core module of the space station.

Commander Tang made his second spacewalk after two years. Meanwhile, Tang Shengjie became the youngest taikonaut in China's history to carry out spacewalks.

Invitation to foreign astronauts

China has extended an invitation to the world, welcoming countries and regions committed to the peaceful use of outer space to collaborate in CSS missions, as stated by the China Manned Space Agency.

This indicates that the normal operation of CSS has reached a very high level, according to Liang.

"The main goal of China's space program is to make peaceful use of space, and the exploration of space is the dream of all mankind. Therefore, we hope that astronauts from other countries can participate in our work to jointly develop space resources, strengthen international cooperation and promote the development of a human space community," said Liang.

Check out the life of Shenzhou-17's crew in space