China's space tracking ship Yuanwang-3 sails for maritime tracking, monitoring tasks

At 9 am on Monday, China's space tracking ship Yuanwang-3 left a dock, bounding for the mission area to carry out maritime tracking and monitoring tasks.

Since the beginning of the year, the ship has sailed for more than 70 days and completed three sea tracking and monitoring missions including the launch of Shenzhou-14 manned mission, making it the first single ship mission in the history of Yuanwang series to break 100.

Before the departure, the scientific and technical personnel have conducted the comprehensive overhaul and test of the onboard tracking and monitoring equipment, and carried out the practical operation drills.

"On this voyage, we will be faced with practical tests such as long sailing time, great changes in time zones, aging equipment performance and variable weather conditions in the targeted area," said Sun Jiangping, director of Yuanwang-3's planning department. 

"We have made great efforts to strengthen risk control, overhauled the test equipment, launched personnel training, carefully carried out supplies, and fully prepared for the mission," Sun noted.

"The ship's crew will celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival and the National Day holidays onboard," Zhang Guanglong, human resources director of the ship told reporters. 

"We have the confidence and ability to complete the maritime tracking and monitoring tasks," Zhang said.

Yuanwang-3 is the domestically designed and made second generation space tracking ship, which is mainly responsible for maritime tracking, monitoring and communication missions for rocket, high and low orbit satellites, spacecraft and space stations.

In the past 20 years it has completed more than 60 voyages, and has fulfilled more than 100 maritime tracking and monitoring missions.