China to launch 3 astronauts to space station tomorrow: All about Shenzhou-18 mission

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) is all set to launch three astronauts to the Tiangong space station on Thursday. The Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship will launch at 6:29 pm (IST) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in the country’s northwest, according to an AP report.

The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft will carry the astronauts — Commander Ye Guangfu, 43, a veteran astronaut who was part of the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021; and astronauts Li Cong, 34, and Li Guangsu, 36, who will go to space for the first time. Ye Guangfu will serve as the mission commander, overseeing operations during the spaceflight.

About Shenzhou-18 space mission

According to a report in Xinhua News Agency, Shenzhou-18 marks the 32nd flight mission of China’s manned space program and the third manned mission during the application and development stage of the country’s space station. The crew’s primary objective is to stay in orbit for approximately six months before returning to the Dongfeng landing site in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in late October.

Upon entering orbit, the spaceship will swiftly execute an automated rendezvous and docking procedure with the radial port of the space station core module, Tianhe. This process will take approximately 6.5 hours, resulting in the formation of a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

The astronauts will conduct scientific tests, install space debris protection equipment on the space station, carry out payload experiments, and popularise science education, among other things, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of CMSA was quoted as saying by AP.

“We will accelerate the research and promotion of the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in flights with China’s space station,” he said. “We definitely expect to see astronauts of different identities on China’s space station,” he added.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-18 crew will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship.

In a conversation with Xinhua, Lin Xiqiang assured that both the space station combination and the equipment onboard the Shenzhou-18 spaceship are in stable condition. He also confirmed the readiness of the crew and ground system facilities for the upcoming mission.

The launch will utilise the Long March-2F carrier rocket, which will soon be filled with propellant, as per a report by Xinhua. Additionally, preparations are underway for the return of the Shenzhou-17 crew to the Dongfeng landing site on April 30, following the completion of in-orbit work handover to the Shenzhou-18 crew.

Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.