Stays 6 months

China’s new Tiangong crew launched into space

(Bild: APA/Associated Press)

China has sent a new crew to its space station "Tiangong" (Heavenly Palace). A 60-metre-long, 40-tonne "Long March 2F" rocket launched the three-member team of the "Shenzhou 19" (magic ship) mission into space from the Jiuquan spaceport in the northwestern Gobi Desert. 

A short time later, the mission management confirmed the successful launch.

Commander Cai Xuzhe (48), engineer Wang Haoze (34) and former air force pilot Song Lingdong (34) reported that they were in good health. According to the Chinese Human Spaceflight Administration, they are expected to dock with the space station around six and a half hours after entering space.

Wang Haoze, Cai Xuzhe and Song Lingdong will remain in space for six months.

(Bild: APA/AFP)

The three had previously been selected by the People's Liberation Army space unit. In China, manned space travel is under the control of the military. "I and the others dream of visiting the space station one day," said Wang. She wants to do every task well and protect the station.

Two space rookies on board
Cai was already in space on the "Shenzhou 14" mission in 2022. Wang and Song are space rookies. There are differences in age and gender, said Cai before departure. "But we have the same goal, which is to fight for the country," he continued.

(Bild: APA/Associated Press)

The team will carry out 86 experiments during their six-month stay. These include experiments on life and medicine in space, physical forces and new technologies, as the spokesperson for the space agency, Lin Xiqiang, said before the launch.

Among other things, the scientists hope that the experiments will lead to progress in the development of new materials and knowledge about the effects of radiation and weightlessness on the body. The space travelers are also to undertake space walks and install protective devices against space debris on the "Tiangong".

The "Shenzhou 19" will replace the space travelers from the "Shenzhou 18" mission, who are currently still living on the "Tiangong" and left there at the end of April. The three men are due to arrive back on Earth on November 4. During their stay, the three fighter pilots also conducted experiments and spacewalks.

Manned moon mission by 2030
This year, Chinese scientists succeeded in transporting soil samples from the hard-to-reach far side of the moon to Earth for the first time in human history. China aims to have completed a manned mission to the moon by 2030. Authority spokesperson Lin emphasized that the ongoing developments and tests for this are going according to plan. The first space travelers are already training for the moon mission and are learning how to steer the spaceship and operate the moon rover.