Shenzhou-19 & Shenzhou-18 Crews Meet | China Space Station

Shenzhou-19 & Shenzhou-18 Crews Meet | China Space Station

The astronauts of the Shenzhou-19 crewed spacecraft met their Shenzhou-18 colleagues after arriving at the Tiangong space station on Wednesday, May 30, 2024, starting a new round of in-orbit crew handover. Commander Cai Xuzhe and crew members Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze successfully reached their destination after the spaceship made a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the space station's core module Tianhe at 11:00 Wednesday (Beijing Time).

At 12:51 (Beijing Time), the Shenzhou-18 crew who had been aboard the space station, opened the hatch and greeted the new arrivals. The two crew teams took group photos and sent messages to the ground staff.

Commanders of the two space missions exchanged greetings.

"First of all, on behalf of the Shenzhou-18 crew, I welcome all of you. We are very happy and excited to welcome you to the space station today. Half a year ago, it was the Shenzhou 17 crew who greeted us. This time it is our turn to welcome you. Next, let us build our space home together," said Ye Guangfu, commander of the Shenzhou-18 spaceflight mission crew.

"I feel so good to be greeted by someone as soon as we arrive at the space home. I remember that two years ago today, we were expecting the arrival of the Mengtian lab capsule in the core module. In a blink of an eye, two years have passed and the space station has entered the application and development stage. Moreover, I also hope to return to the space home again and take a look. After returning again today, I feel very warm in my heart when I see the familiar environment in the cabin. Seeing that you have taken care of the space station so well, managing it so well, and that you have done a lot of outstanding work, I give you a big thumbs up. In the next period of time, I hope you can pass on good methods and good working methods to us. Finally, I hope we can spend some good time together and everything goes well," said Cai Xuzhe, commander of the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission crew.

Then the newcomers expressed their excitement for the gathering and thanked the previous crew for their hard work over the past six months.

Song Lingdong, a Shenzhou-19 crew member, said having seen the work done by the previous crew at the space station, he feels very confident about their mission.

"The ground staff all praised you for completing the mission well, and they are also very relieved and reassured when providing you support. We appreciate your hard work. We will learn from you in the next few days and please do share your valuable experience with us," Song said.

Wang Haoze, another Shenzhou-19 crew member, expressed her excitement to meet the Shenzhou-18 crew and appreciated their work in the past six months and preparations for the handover.

The Shenzhou-18 crew members also warmly welcomed the new arrivals.

Li Guangsu, a Shenzhou-18 crew member, said he looks forward to sharing their experience with their colleagues, learning from each other in exchanges and making progress together.

"We have carefully prepared some surprise foods for you. I look forward to your treasure hunt," he said.

Li Cong, another Shenzhou-18 crew member, said they had made the living space nice and tidy to welcome the new crew and even planted some fresh lettuce for a reunion dinner.

The six astronauts will live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Shenzhou-19 spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 04:27 on Wednesday (Beijing Time).

Shenzhou-19 is the 33rd flight mission of China's crewed space program and the fourth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.

During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft.

The new crew will have numerous tasks to complete, including conducting 86 space science research and technology experiments, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and installing and recycling extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public welfare activities, and other payload tests.

Shenzhou-19 Crew:

Cai Xuzhe (蔡旭哲, commander)

Wang Haoze (王浩泽, mission specialist)

Song Lingdong (宋令东, mission specialist)

Shenzhou-18 Crew:

Ye Guangfu (叶光富, commander)

Li Cong (李聪, mission specialist)

Li Guangsu (李广苏, mission specialist)

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 4 minutes

Release Date: Oct. 30, 2024

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