China's next astronauts ready for launch to its permanently crewed space station
China is set to launch its next crew to the Tiangong space station early Wednesday, October 30, marking another step in the nation's journey to becoming a major space power.
The crew of three—two men and one woman—will replace astronauts who have spent the last six months aboard the station.
The Shenzhou-19 mission features commander Cai Xuzhe, along with first-time space travellers Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, as announced by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) during a press conference on October 29.
Cai, who previously completed the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, expressed, "The experience of my previous mission remains vivid in my memory," and noted his pride and responsibility as he leads the new crew.
The youngest crew member, Song, is a former air force pilot, while Wang, China's only female spaceflight engineer, previously worked as a senior engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Wang will make history as the third Chinese woman to participate in a crewed spaceflight mission.
The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft will launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China atop a Long March-2F rocket at 4:27 AM Beijing time. The crew will conduct 86 space science experiments, perform extravehicular activities, and engage in science education and public welfare initiatives. They are expected to return to the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia in late April or early May next year.
China's journey in crewed space missions began in 2003, becoming the third nation to achieve this milestone. In June, they became the only country to have landed on the far side of the moon with its Chang'e-6 mission.
