China on Thursday launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, sending a crew of three astronauts into space.
The spaceship will stay in orbit for around six months.
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, China - April 25, 2024
Storyline:
China on Thursday launched the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship, sending a crew of three astronauts into space.
The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off Thursday night at around 21:00 (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The Shenzhou-18 crew, consisting of mission commander Ye Guangfu and astronauts Li Cong and Li Guangsu, will stay in orbit for about six months.
After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-18 spaceship will perform a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the radial port of the space station core module Tianhe about six and a half hours into the mission, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.
They will take over the command of China's Tiangong space station after completing an in-orbit handover with their colleagues of the Shenzhou-17 mission, who are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on April 30.
During their stay in space, the astronauts will carry out more than 90 experiments, two to three extravehicular activities (EVAs), and implement six cargo outbound deliveries via the station's cargo airlock module.
The crew will also witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship.
Shotlist:
Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China - April 25, 2024:
1. Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship atop Long March-2F carrier rocket on launch pad;
2. SOUNDBITE (Chinese) officer, Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (name not given) (ending with shots 3-4):
"Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one, ignite!";
3. Launch pad;
4. Astronauts aboard spaceship;
5. Various of rocket blasting off;
In Space - April 25, 2024:
6. Rocket ascending, inset of Shenzhou-17 astronauts watching from aboard space station;
7. Split screens showing rocket ascending, Shenzhou-18 crew aboard spaceship.
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