China Finally Reveals Launch Plans

After years of secrecy, the Chinese government has finally revealed details of its upcoming launch. As predicted by media and industry insiders, Shenzhou 5 will launch some time between October 15 and 17. The flight will last between 14 orbits, or 21 hours – not the single orbit previously reported. They revealed that there are three astronaut candidates at the launch facility, but not the number that will actually ride in the spacecraft on this first flight.

Fraser Cain

Fraser Cain is the publisher of Universe Today. He's also the co-host of Astronomy Cast with Dr. Pamela Gay. Here's a link to my Mastodon account.

Recent Posts

Two Stars in a Binary System are Very Different. It's Because There Used to be Three

A beautiful nebula in the southern hemisphere with a binary star at it's center seems…

1 hour ago

The Highest Observatory in the World Comes Online

The history of astronomy and observatories is full of stories about astronomers going higher and…

1 hour ago

Is the JWST Now an Interplanetary Meteorologist?

The JWST keeps one-upping itself. In the telescope's latest act of outdoing itself, it examined…

2 hours ago

Solar Orbiter Takes a Mind-Boggling Video of the Sun

You've seen the Sun, but you've never seen the Sun like this. This single frame…

2 hours ago

What Can AI Learn About the Universe?

Artificial intelligence and machine learning have become ubiquitous, with applications ranging from data analysis, cybersecurity,…

3 hours ago

Enceladus’s Fault Lines are Responsible for its Plumes

The Search for Life in our Solar System leads seekers to strange places. From our…

23 hours ago