China to launch Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship on Thursday

Three astronauts will head to China’s space station on Thursday as part of the Shenzhou-20 mission, replacing a crew that spent six months conducting research in orbit.

China is set to launch the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship on Thursday at 5:17 p.m. local time (0917 GMT), according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The spacecraft will lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the Chinese Space Station confirmed in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The mission will carry three taikonauts — Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie — into orbit. Chen Dong, a veteran astronaut, will serve as the mission commander.

The Shenzhou-20 crew will replace the current occupants of the Chinese space station, the Shenzhou-19 astronauts, who are scheduled to return to Earth after completing a six-month mission focused on scientific research and station maintenance.

China launched the Shenzhou-19 in October last year as part of its rapidly advancing space programme. The crewed missions are a key element of China’s long-term ambitions in space, including future lunar exploration and international cooperation projects.

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