China today (October 29) announced the launch time and crew of the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-19 for a mission planned for early tomorrow morning (October 30).
During a press conference held on October 29 at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province, Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), stated that the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-19 is set to launch at 4:27 AM on October 30, Beijing time.
Shenzhou-19 Crew. (Photo: CMSA).
The mission will be led by crew commander Cai Xuzhe, a veteran astronaut who flew during the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, along with two first-time space travelers Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze. Besides the crew commander, the other two astronauts belong to the post-90s generation and represent China’s third cohort of astronauts.
Notably, female astronaut Wang Haoze was a senior engineer at China’s leading aerospace contractor, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC). She is currently the only female space engineer in China and the third woman from the country to undertake a space mission.
According to spokesperson Lin Xiqiang, after entering orbit, the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-19 will autonomously dock and quickly assemble with the Tianhe core module within approximately 6.5 hours, forming a combination of three spacecraft and three cabins. “While in orbit, the Shenzhou-19 crew will welcome the cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-8 and the crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-20, with plans to return to the Dongfeng Landing Site at the end of April or early May 2024,” he added.
Furthermore, Lin mentioned that after completing the handover with the Shenzhou-19 crew, the three astronauts from Shenzhou-18, currently aboard the Tiangong space station, are expected to return to Earth on November 4. A total of 86 scientific and technological experiments will be conducted during the Shenzhou-19 mission.
