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Axiom Mission 2 Undocks from the International Space Station
May 30, 2023
After more than a week aboard the International Space Station, the four private astronauts of Axiom Space's Axiom Mission 2 (Ax-2) are scheduled to undock from the station at 11:05 a.m. EDT (1505 UTC) on Tuesday, May 30.
Led by retired NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, the crew of Ax-2—Whitson, pilot John Shoffner, and mission specialists Ali Alqarni and Rayyanah Barnawi—engaged in technology demonstrations, spoke with students around the world, and contributed to scientific experiments ranging from cancer treatments to weather research.
NASA's integrated coverage of Axiom Mission 2 will conclude after the crew departs from the station in their SpaceX Dragon Freedom spacecraft. Ax-2 will splash down off the coast of Florida later today; follow Axiom Space and SpaceX on social media for Ax-2 splashdown updates:
https://www.axiomspace.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUW6gYejG6E
China launches 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station on Shenzhou 16 spacecraft
May 29, 2023
A new crew of three astronauts is on its way to China's Tiangong space station.
A Long March 2F rocket launched the Shenzhou 16 crew spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert today (May 29) at 9:31 p.m. EDT (0131 GMT; 9:31 p.m. local time on May 30). Spacecraft separation occurred around 10 minutes later, according to the China National Space Administration, which declared the launch "a complete success."
Jing Haipeng (the mission's commander) and rookies Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao —  the first members of a third astronaut selection group to fly to space  —  are set to spend six months aboard the Tiangong space station. CNSA officials announced the crew just one day before launch.
Jing Haipeng is a veteran of the Shenzhou 7, 9 and 11 missions, while Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao are heading to orbit for the first time. Zhu is a spaceflight engineer and was selected in China's third batch of astronauts in 2020. Gui is also from the third astronaut group and will be China's first payload specialist to fly to Tiangong.
"It is a great honor for me to serve as the commander for the third time. This time, I am mainly responsible for organization and coordination, including space-Earth communication and mission command," Jing told reporters in the press conference. "In particular, I have to ensure the safety of the mission and our crew."
After reaching orbit and docking with Tiangong, the crew will be greeted aboard the space station by the outpost's current Shenzhou 15 crew. Mission commander Fei Junlong and crewmates Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu have been aboard Tiangong since November and will hand over control of the space station to the new crew before returning home in early June.
China completed its three-module Tiangong in late 2022 and aims to keep the orbital outpost permanently occupied for at least a decade. The station is about 20% as massive as the International Space Station, according to Chinese space officials.
The country is also looking to see foreign astronauts travel to Tiangong, as well as open the space station to potential tourist visits.
Earlier this month China also launched the Tianzhou 6 cargo spacecraft to Tiangong to deliver supplies for the six-month-long Shenzhou 16 mission, as well as science experiments, equipment and propellant for the space station to maintain its orbit.
https://www.space.com/china-shenzhou-16-astronauts-launch-tiangong-space-station