Shenzhou-18 sets sail for Tiangong: China advances in the space race
The Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-18 was sent to the Tiangong space station, the Heavenly Palace. The ship carried a crew of three members.
26 April 2024 09:07
On Thursday, 25 April 2024, a Chinese spacecraft named Shenzhou-18, also known as the Divine Vessel, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The agency Reuters reports that three taikonauts were on board.
The new crew, which embarked on a space journey, aims to take over the duties of the previous Shenzhou-17 team. Since October last year, the latter has been servicing the Chinese space station Tiangong, also known as the Heavenly Palace.
The Chinese crew flew into space
The crew is led by 43-year-old Ye Guangfu, who has experience in space flights. Previously, he participated in the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021. His two colleagues, 34-year-old Li Cong and 36-year-old Li Guangsu are novices in space travel but experienced fighter pilots.
Just before boarding the spacecraft, the crew was bid farewell by a group of children waving flags. Chinese patriotic tunes played in the background, adding to the ceremony.
The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft, launched into orbit by a Long March 2F rocket, is expected to reach the space station six and a half hours after launch.
During a press conference, the Chinese Manned Space Agency assured that the development and construction of systems intended to enable Chinese astronauts to land on the Moon are progressing as planned. According to the agency's assessment, the Moon mission could be realized by 2030.
China plans to conduct two cargo spacecraft flights and two manned missions in 2024. These ambitious plans show how seriously China takes its aspirations to become a dominating force in space exploration.
