JIUQUAN: China will launch its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space station, according to the Manned Space Agency.
The second-largest economy in the world has poured billions of dollars into its military-run space programme in an effort to overtake the United States and Russia after years of lagging behind in reaching their milestones.
According to AFP, ll Chinese astronauts sent into space are virtually part of the People’s Liberation Army.
China Manned Space Agency Spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said that payload expert Gui Haichao, who is a professor at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, would be “mainly responsible for the on-orbit operation of space science experimental payloads.
Jing Haipeng, the commander, will be on his fourth mission into space and engineer Zhu Yangzhu will be the third crew member.
The Manned Space Agency said the astronauts were set to take off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China on Tuesday at 9:31 am (0131 GMT).
Once completed, Tiangong will realise the goal of sustaining a long-term human presence in space by remaining in low Earth orbit for at least 10 years at a height of 400–450 kilometres (250–280 miles) above the globe.
Three astronaut crews will alternately man it on a continual basis, conducting research and testing new technology.
Gui said that he hailed from an “ordinary family” in western Yunnan province.
China’s “space dream” has been given high priority under President Xi Jinping.
China intends to establish a lunar outpost and, according to the National Space Administration, hopes to send a crewed lunar expedition into orbit by 2029.
Last year, the Tiangong, a T-shaped spacecraft whose name translates to “heavenly palace,” successfully docked with its main structure.
The station is equipped with a variety of cutting-edge scientific tools, according to state news agency Xinhua, including “the first space-based cold atomic clock system in the world.” — AFP
