Three Chinese astronauts, including the country’s only female spaceflight engineer, have launched on a “dream” mission to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Wednesday. This new crew is set to conduct experiments aimed at advancing China’s ambitious plans to send astronauts to the Moon by 2030 and ultimately establish a lunar base.
Among the astronauts is Wang Haoze, 34, who is not only China’s sole female spaceflight engineer but also the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed mission. The team is led by Cai Xuzhe, a 48-year-old former Air Force pilot with prior experience from the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022. Completing the trio is 34-year-old Song Lingdong. The crew is expected to return to Earth in late April or early May next year, as confirmed by CMSA Deputy Director Lin Xiqiang at a press event.
About the mission:
China’s space program, under President Xi Jinping, has significantly ramped up efforts to fulfill its “space dream.” It was the third nation to send humans into orbit and has successfully landed robotic rovers on both Mars and the Moon. The Tiangong space station, which is the program’s flagship, operates with rotating teams of three astronauts every six months. Beijing has stated its intention to launch a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, where a lunar base is planned. During their time aboard Tiangong, the Shenzhou-19 crew will conduct various experiments, including those involving materials mimicking lunar soil.
Tiangong Space Station:
The Tiangong space station itself is China’s first long-term space station, built and operated by the China Manned Space Agency. It features a modular design, with different sections docked together in low Earth orbit at altitudes ranging from 340 to 450 km (about 210 to 280 miles) above the Earth. With a pressurized volume of 340 m³ (12,000 cu ft), it is slightly over one-third the size of the International Space Station. Tiangong aims to facilitate space-based experiments and serve as a platform for scientific and technological advancements.