China has unveiled the crew members for the Shenzhou-15 spaceflight mission with astronauts meeting with the press just a day before their scheduled launch.

Commander Fei Junlong is returning to space after his Shenzhou-6 mission, 17 years ago. Fei is accompanied by two debutants Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Monday.

With the average age of 53, the trio have spent the past decade preparing for the space mission. However, Fei said that "our flying skills remain young". 

"For me, I can spend my whole life getting prepared silently, but I will never allow myself to be unprepared when the task comes by," said Deng.

The Shenzhou-15 mission will be the last in the construction phase of China Space Station (CSS). The three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, are scheduled to stay at the station for half a year.

Upon arrival at the station, they will participate in the first crew handover in orbit with the Shenzhou-14 crew members, Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, who are preparing to head back to Earth. 

It is also the first time China's manned space program will run two Shenzhou spacecraft concurrently.

Meet taikonauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu

Fei Junlong

Born in May 1965, Fei Junlong joined Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in 1982.

Fei, selected as a member of China's first-generation astronauts in January 1998, made his space debut in 2005 on the Shenzhou-6 mission as the commander for five days.

With that experience, Fei was selected as the commander of the Shenzhou-15 mission and will stay in space for six months this time. 

He told CGTN at a Monday press conference that his team was fully ready for the approaching mission and would complete the task with great success. 

Fei also mentioned that, with the average age of 53, it seems that the Shenzhou-15 crew members are old. However, when compared to other crew members, "our flying skills remain young." 

Deng Qingming

Deng Qingming, born in March 1966, joined PLA Air Force in 1984 and has served as a first-class pilot. 

Deng was selected as member of China's first-generation astronauts in January 1998, and he is the only one who has never been to space in the group. 

Deng was a backup crew member for both the Shenzhou-10 and Shenzhou-11 missions. Five of his peers retired in 2014 without a space flight. 

Shenzhou-15 will be Deng's first space mission. He told reporters that he had prepared for the mission for 25 years and was looking forward to the trip.

"Twenty-five years is a long journey. For many times, I missed the chance to enter the space. Even though I felt disappointed, I never gave up," said Deng, adding that "no matter how old I am, I am needed by the nation. I feel happy today." 

Zhang Lu

Zhang Lu, born in November 1976, was selected as member of China's second-generation astronauts in May 2010. 

Zhang joined PLA Air Force in 1996, and has served as a first-class pilot. 

Shenzhou-15 will also be Zhang's first space mission, as he has been working to achieve the goal through 12-year of unremitting efforts. 

"The universe is mysterious and vast, and I have a lot of expectations for the life in the space. I'm looking forward to enjoy the zero-gravity in life and building and completing our home in the space," Zhang told reporters, adding that the three of them are sharing the same hobby of Chinese calligraphy, which features life philosophy.

Zhang also said that he had prepared some secret gifts for the Shenzhou-14 crew members and won't disclose until they meet in person. 

CSS welcomes more astronauts

With the arrival of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship, the CSS will be expanded to its largest configuration formed of three modules and three spaceships, with a total mass of nearly 100 tonnes, said Ji Qiming, spokesperson for the CMSA.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-15 taikonauts will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft and Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship. The team will also have a handover with the upcoming Shenzhou-16 crew in orbit.

China has 39 astronauts in its first, second and third generations. It started the selection process of the fourth batch of astronauts this September. For the first time, it is open to applicants from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Between 12 and 14 candidates will be chosen, including seven or eight pilots. Engineers will also be selected as well as two payload experts. 

In addition, astronauts from other countries are also welcome to conduct experiments in the CSS, Ji said, adding that many countries have applied to send astronauts to participate in spaceflight missions to the CSS, and the CMSA is coordinating with relevant countries on it.

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Live: Special coverage of China's Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft mission crew members meet the press

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