Shenzhou 18

Shenzhou 18

Liftoff of Shenzhou 18.
Mission type	Tiangong space station crew transport
Operator	China Manned Space Agency
COSPAR ID	2024-078A
SATCAT no.	59591
Mission duration	180 days (planned) 89 days, 9 hours and 44 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft type	Shenzhou
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Crew
Crew size	3
Members	Ye Guangfu Li Cong Li Guangsu
Start of mission
Launch date	25 April 2024, 12:59 UTC (20:59 Local Time)[1]
Rocket	Long March 2F
Launch site	Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS
Contractor	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
End of mission
Landing date	October 2024 (planned)
Landing site	Inner Mongolia, China
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Inclination	41.5°
Docking with Tiangong space station
Docking port	Tianhe nadir
Docking date	25 April 2024, 19:32 UTC
Undocking date	October 2024 (planned)
Time docked	180 days (planned) 89 days, 3 hours and 11 minutes (in progress)
Li Guangsu, Li Cong and Ye Guangfu China Manned Space Program ← Shenzhou 17 Shenzhou 19 →

Shenzhou 18 (Chinese: 神舟十八号; pinyin: Shénzhōu Shíbā-hào; lit. 'Divine Boat Number 18') is a Chinese spaceflight to the Tiangong space station, launched on 25 April 2024. It carried three People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps (PLAAC) taikonauts on board a Shenzhou spacecraft. The mission is the thirteenth crewed Chinese spaceflight and the eighteenth flight overall of the Shenzhou program.^[2]

Shenzhou 18 is the seventh flight to the Tiangong space station, and is expected to last approximately 6 months. It will depart following the arrival of the Shenzhou 19 crew.

The crew of Shenzhou 18 was announced on April 24, 2024.^[3]

The mission launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on board a Long March 2F rocket at 20:59 Beijing Time(UTC+8) (12:59 UTC), near the end of the Shenzhou 17 mission. Approximately 6.5 hours after launch, the spacecraft docked at the nadir port of the station's Tianhe core module.^[4]

Following docking, the crew entered the space station and were greeted by the crew of Shenzhou 17, with whom they would share a five-day overlap between the two missions prior to Shenzhou 17’s departure. The two crews shook hands and took group photos in a ceremony which was broadcast to Mission Control.^[5]

On 28 May 2024, Ye Guangfu and Li Guangsu carried out China's longest spacewalk to date, exiting the airlock of the Wentian lab module and spending approximately 8.5 hours installing space debris protection shields and inspecting the exterior of the station.^[6]

Another spacewalk was conducted on 3 July 2024, during which Ye Guangfu and Li Cong installed further space debris protection shields on pipelines, cables, and other equipment.^[7]

Position	Crew member
Commander	Ye Guangfu, CMSA Second spaceflight
Operator	Li Cong, CMSA First spaceflight
System Operator	Li Guangsu, CMSA First spaceflight

Commander Ye Guangfu is the second person to visit the station twice, having previously flown to Tiangong on Shenzhou 13.^[3]