China's Shenzhou-19 spacecraft took off from the Gobi Desert to carry astronauts to the Tiangong space station. The crew members born in 1990 were born on this ship – the youngest Chinese citizens in outer space to date.
China's Shenzhou-19 (God's Ship) spacecraft with a three-person crew took off from the Jiuchuan Spaceport on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwest China. The capsule was launched using a Long March 2F rocket on Wednesday at 4:27 a.m. local time (that time was 9:27 p.m. in Poland).
CCTV confirmed that the spacecraft connected with the space station at 11 (Wednesday, 16 hours in Poland).
Half a year in orbit
According to the Chinese space agency, the members of this mission will remain at China's Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) space station for the next six months. They conduct 86 experiments in the field of natural science of space science, physics of microgravity, material technology, medicine and new technology.
Launch of Shenzhou-19PAP/EPA/JESSICA LEE mission
The commander of “Shenzhou-19” is 48-year-old Cai Xuze, who participated in the “Shenzhou-14” mission in 2022. His companions, Air Force pilot Song Lindong and scientist Wang Haozhe, are teenagers, both born in the 1990s – the youngest non-believers in extraterrestrial space to date. Wang is the third Chinese woman to participate in a manned flight and the first female space flight engineer.
Together with the crew, the equipment necessary for remote control of the ship and support of space flights will arrive at the Chinese space station. The Chinese also need to install new equipment to protect the Tiangong Orbital Station from space debris.
Main photo credit: PAP/EPA/JESSICA LEE
