The China Manned Space Agency has announced that the Shenzhou XVIII mission is poised for launch in the upcoming days, aiming to deliver three astronauts to the Tiangong space station.
On Wednesday, the Shenzhou XVIII crew spacecraft, along with its Long March 2F rocket, was transferred to the service tower at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in the Gobi Desert of northwestern China. The agency reported that the spacecraft and its carrier rocket are scheduled for final inspections shortly.
This upcoming mission marks China’s 13th manned venture into space and represents the first crewed journey to Tiangong this year.
The astronauts for the Shenzhou XVIII mission have not been publicly named yet. They are set to replace the current inhabitants of the station, the Shenzhou XVII team-commanded by Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, with crew members Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Xinlin and Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie-who have been in orbit since October 26 and will complete a six-month tenure by the end of April.
In Space Daily
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