# Shenzhou 6

> 2005 Chinese crewed spaceflight

**Wikidata**: [Q331310](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q331310)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenzhou_6)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/shenzhou-6

## Summary
Shenzhou 6 was a 2005 Chinese crewed spaceflight mission that carried two astronauts into orbit. It was the second crewed mission of China's Shenzhou program and the first to carry a two-person crew. The mission lasted nearly five days and completed 75 orbits around Earth.

## Key Facts
- Launched on October 12, 2005, from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 2F rocket
- Landed on October 16, 2005, at 20:32 UTC in Inner Mongolia (coordinates: 42.366°N, 111.431°E)
- Crew consisted of Fei Junlong (spacecraft commander) and Nie Haisheng (flight engineer)
- Part of China's Manned Space Program operated by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
- Followed Shenzhou 5 and preceded Shenzhou 7 in the Shenzhou mission sequence
- Completed 75 orbits in low Earth orbit
- COSPAR ID: 2005-040A

### Q: What was the purpose of Shenzhou 6?
A: Shenzhou 6 was China's second crewed spaceflight mission, designed to demonstrate China's ability to conduct multi-day crewed orbital missions and advance its human spaceflight capabilities. It tested life support systems and crew operations for extended spaceflight.

### Q: Who were the astronauts on Shenzhou 6?
A: The crew consisted of Fei Junlong, who served as spacecraft commander, and Nie Haisheng, who served as flight engineer. This was China's first two-person crewed mission.

### Q: How long did Shenzhou 6 stay in space?
A: Shenzhou 6 remained in orbit for approximately 4 days, 19 hours, and 22 minutes, from October 12 to October 16, 2005, completing 75 orbits around Earth.

## Why It Matters
Shenzhou 6 represented a significant milestone in China's space program, demonstrating the nation's growing capabilities in human spaceflight. As the first two-person crewed mission, it validated China's ability to support extended missions with multiple astronauts, a crucial step toward more complex operations like space station construction and lunar exploration. The successful five-day mission proved the reliability of China's life support systems and operational procedures for multi-day flights. This mission established China as only the third nation capable of independently launching humans into orbit and conducting multi-day missions, marking an important achievement in the global space race and enhancing China's technological prestige. The mission's success paved the way for subsequent Shenzhou missions and China's long-term space exploration goals.

## Notable For
- First Chinese crewed mission to carry two astronauts simultaneously
- First multi-day Chinese crewed spaceflight (nearly five days in orbit)
- Demonstrated China's capability for extended human spaceflight operations
- Completed 75 orbits, significantly more than the single-orbit Shenzhou 5 mission
- Advanced China's position as a major spacefaring nation alongside the US and Russia

## Body
### Mission Overview
Shenzhou 6 launched on October 12, 2005, at 01:00 UTC from Launch Pad 921 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The mission used the Long March 2F carrier rocket, China's dedicated human-rated launch vehicle. This was the 88th launch of the Long March series and the 19th orbital launch of 2005.

### Crew and Operations
The two-person crew included Fei Junlong (born 1965), a fighter pilot and spacecraft commander, and Nie Haisheng (born 1964), also a fighter pilot serving as flight engineer. Both were People's Liberation Army Air Force pilots selected from a pool of 14 candidates. During the mission, the crew conducted various scientific experiments and tested the spacecraft's systems while in orbit.

### Technical Specifications
The Shenzhou spacecraft is based on the Russian Soyuz design but substantially modified and enlarged. It consists of an orbital module, a re-entry module, and a service module. The spacecraft measures approximately 9.25 meters in length with a maximum diameter of 2.8 meters. The launch mass is approximately 7,800 kg.

### Mission Timeline
The mission followed a carefully planned timeline: launch on October 12, orbital operations for four days, and landing on October 16 at 20:32 UTC. The landing occurred in the Siziwang Banner of Inner Mongolia, approximately 1 km from the planned target point. Recovery forces, including helicopters and ground vehicles, were pre-positioned for rapid crew extraction.

### Program Context
Shenzhou 6 was the 6th flight of the Shenzhou spacecraft and the second crewed mission in China's human spaceflight program. It directly followed the historic Shenzhou 5 mission in October 2003, which made China the third country to independently send humans to space. The mission was part of the broader China Manned Space Program, which aims to develop capabilities for space station operations and eventual lunar exploration.

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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report
2. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
3. BabelNet