On Tuesday, China will send a new three-person crew to its new space station, and this time, for the first time, they will include a civilian, Professor Gui Haichao. The Chinese invested billions of dollars in the space program, and at the end of 2022 they completed the installation of the Tiangong station.
The Shenzhou-16 mission will be launched on May 30 at 4:31 a.m. Romanian time from the base in Jiuquan by a Long March 2F rocket.
The three astronauts are Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao.
The latter is the first civilian sent by China into space, being a professor at Peking University. Gui Haichao will be engaged in scientific experiments.
All Taikonauts sent so far have been part of the People’s Liberation Army, the armed “arm” of the Chinese Communist Party.
This is the fifth mission sent by the Chinese to the space station since 2021. The training program for selected astronauts lasts more than two years.
The station rotates at an altitude of more than 400 km above the Earth.
The Chinese began assembling the space station in the spring of 2021, and in July and October 2022 they sent two more modules of the Tiangong station, which should operate for at least 10 years.
The long-term plans include the arrival of cosmonauts from other countries, as well as space tourists, who will be ready to pay millions of dollars to the station. The station has three modules: Tianhe (the one where the astronauts live), Mengtian (the laboratory) and Wentian (necessary for extravehicular activities).
The Chinese, who sent the first man into space in 2003, have invested billions of dollars in the space program and made significant progress. In 2019, they installed a module on the far side of the moon, brought back samples of lunar soil, and landed a rover on the surface of Mars. China finished assembling the space station in October, and is also due to launch a space telescope near Tianjin in 2023.
Only two other countries have ever built space stations: the USA and the USSR.
Ten years ago, China decided to build its own space station after the US banned China from the ISS and all NASA projects.
Sources: AFP, Reuters
Source: Hot News
Ben is a respected technology journalist and author, known for his in-depth coverage of the latest developments and trends in the field. He works as a writer at 247 news reel, where he is a leading voice in the industry, known for his ability to explain complex technical concepts in an accessible way. He is a go-to source for those looking to stay informed about the latest developments in the world of technology.