JIUQUAN, China: China is preparing for another milestone mission as its Shenzhou-19 crew, featuring the nation’s first female spaceflight engineer, is set to launch to the Tiangong space station.
The crew, composed of Wang Haoze, Cai Xuzhe, and Song Lingdong, will embark on a six-month mission with an eye on China’s broader “space dream” of conducting lunar explorations and establishing a moon base by 2030 reports AFP.
The Shenzhou-19 mission will depart from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center early Wednesday, marking the third Chinese crew to inhabit the Tiangong station since its completion. The team’s objectives include scientific experiments critical to the development of space technology, with plans to assess materials meant to simulate lunar soil. These materials will arrive in November aboard a Tianzhou-8 cargo ship, and the team will test their durability under conditions replicating the moon’s extreme radiation, gravity, and temperature.
Captain Cai Xuzhe, a veteran from the Shenzhou-14 mission, expressed the honor and responsibility of leading this mission, emphasizing that the team is fully prepared across technical and psychological aspects. Wang Haoze, set to become the third Chinese woman in space, spoke of her excitement to fulfill her “space dream” and her dedication to ensuring mission safety and success.
This mission represents China’s commitment to advancing its space program. In recent years, China has expanded its ambitions, from landing the Chang’e-4 probe on the moon’s far side in 2019 to deploying a robot on Mars in 2021. The Tiangong station, whose core module was launched in 2021, symbolizes China’s growing influence in space exploration and is expected to serve as a platform for such missions for at least a decade.
