Hey space enthusiasts! This Friday morning, the Shenzhou-21 crewed spaceship and its Long March-2F rocket took a slow, epic journey to the launch area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Carried by a massive mobile launch platform, the combo rolled 1.5 km along seamless steel rails toward the towering launch tower. 🚀
Pulling off this move was no small feat. Here are some of the coolest challenges the tech team tackled:
- Giant gates on a slow-mo reveal: The 70-meter-tall testing facility gate opens in sections weighing 20 tonnes each, lifted by top-floor hoists and steel cables. It took over 30 minutes to fully uncover the spacecraft-rocket duo.
- Power shuffle: After rolling out, the platform paused for half an hour so the power supply vehicle could reposition and ensure a steady energy feed all the way to the pad. 🛠️⚡
- Track gymnastics: There’s a tiny gap between old rails and the new seamless track, which could rattle the platform’s wheels. Thankfully, constant maintenance checks and protective measures mean perfect conditions for the ride.
- Rail switch magic: Nearby switch vehicles transfer backup rockets between the facility’s east and west sections in minutes, boosting emergency response and keeping launch ops on point.
The Shenzhou-21 mission is set to lift another team to China’s orbiting space station, marking the 10th crewed launch since construction began and the 6th since the station entered its application and development phase. 💫
Behind every smooth transfer lies a blend of mechanical muscle and precise planning—proof that space travel is as much about on-the-ground engineering as it is about the stars.
Reference(s):
Engineer explains challenges of Shenzhou-21 spacecraft-rocket transfer
cgtn.com
