China sent its next crew of astronauts into space on Thursday to the Tiangong (Sky Palace) space station. The spacecraft “Shenzhou 18” with three men on board took off from the Jiuquan Cosmodrome in the Gobi Desert in the northwest of the People’s Republic late in the evening (local time).
Commander Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, trained pilots in the People’s Liberation Army, will replace the current crew of the “Tiangong” after about six months in space. In the afternoon they were officially sent on a mission amid cheers from many people, according to a broadcast on state television. “Shenzhou” was powered by a “Long March 2F” launch vehicle.
The new crew is expected to stay until October
The crew of “Shenzhou 17” will then return to Earth early next week. During their stay until approximately October, the new crew will conduct various scientific experiments in orbit, including experiments with various fish, to learn more about breeding vertebrates in space. Several spacewalks are also planned, as announced by the Chinese Manned Space Agency.
Beijing has been investing a lot of money in its space program for years. The People’s Republic, like the US, Japan and India, has long had its sights set on the moon. China wants to send another unmanned probe to Earth’s satellite this spring: “Chang’e 6” (name of a moon goddess).
In preparation for the mission, the People’s Republic has already launched a communications satellite into lunar orbit. This is necessary because on the side of the moon facing away from Earth, where the probe should land, direct reception to the control center on Earth is not possible.
Manned station planned on the moon
The People’s Republic, ruled by the Communist Party, also wants to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. The Earth’s satellite has become interesting again for many countries because it is believed that important raw materials are present there.
Source: Krone
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