As the head of Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin has voiced plans to dispatch Russian cosmonauts to China's newly operational Tiangong space station. Realizing this ambitious collaboration will demand overcoming significant technical hurdles.
China recently captivated the world by launching its first crew—taikonauts Nie Haisheng, Liu Boming, and Tang Hongbo—to the Tiangong station aboard the Shenzhou-12 mission. The trio will spend three months aboard, acclimating to the station's systems and conducting initial operations.
Months earlier, Chinese officials floated the idea of welcoming foreign astronauts for scientific research. Russia quickly embraced the opportunity.
Speaking at the Global Conference on Space Exploration (GLEX) in Saint Petersburg, Rogozin confirmed ongoing discussions with China. This comes shortly after Russia's announcement to exit the International Space Station (ISS) partnership.
Integrating Russian cosmonauts into Tiangong poses challenges. The station orbits at a 41.5-degree inclination, optimized for launches from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Russian sites, like Baikonur, sit at higher latitudes.
Space journalist Anatoly Zak reports that Russia previously urged China to adjust the station's inclination for easier access. Without changes, Russian Soyuz rockets would need complex yaw maneuvers during ascent, burning excessive fuel beyond their capacity.
An alternative: Launch Soyuz from ESA's Kourou site in French Guiana, nearer the equator. This would require major upgrades to support crewed missions.
Another path could involve cosmonauts joining Chinese Shenzhou crews directly. Yet, deep collaboration takes time—much like how U.S. and European astronauts mastered Russian for ISS work. Russian personnel would need Chinese language training and familiarization with new spacecraft.
While not imminent, Russia and China are aligning closely. Recently, they signed a pact for a joint lunar research station, open to international partners.
