China to launch Shenzhou-18 crew to space station Thursday

The Shenzhou-18 crewed spaceship will be launched at 8:59 p.m. Beijing Time on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Wednesday.

Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu will carry out the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission to China's space station, and Ye will be the commander.

Ye was also the crew member of China's Shenzhou-13 mission. Both Li Cong and Li Guangsu are part of the country's third-batch taikonauts, and the Shenzhou-18 mission will be their first flight mission.

They are scheduled to stay in orbit for about six months and return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in late October.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-18 crew will receive the Tianzhou-8 cargo ship and the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship.

The Shenzhou-17 trio, who are currently working at the space station, will meet with the Shenzhou-18 crew before returning to the Dongfeng landing site on April 30.

Major tasks

The Shenzhou-18 crew will carry out multiple tasks, mainly including experiments and tests in space science and application, extravehicular activities (EVAs), cargo transportation, space debris shelters installation, extravehicular payloads and equipment installation and recovery, as well as popular science education and public welfare activities, to further improve the operation efficiency of the space station, according to Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA.

The taikonauts will perform two to three spacewalks and implement six cargo outbound deliveries through the cargo airlock module.

During the EVAs, they will install space debris protection reinforcements for extravehicular pipelines, cables and critical equipment, and carry out inspections as appropriate to further safeguard the safety of the space station, said Lin.

By utilizing the scientific experiment cabinets and extravehicular payloads, they will also carry out over 90 experiments in diverse fields including basic physics in microgravity, space material science, space life science, space medicine and technology, said Lin.

The country's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research program will be carried out during this mission, creating a self-sustainable aquatic ecosystem in orbit using zebrafish and goldfish algae as the research objects, so as to make a breakthrough in breeding vertebrates in space.

Furthermore, the world's first in-orbit study on plant's tip stem cells will be conducted to reveal the mechanism of plant evolutionary adaptation to gravity, thereby contributing to the theoretical foundation for future space cropping.   

Fourth-batch taikonauts selection near completion

China in 2020 completed its third batch selection of 18 taikonauts, constituting three categories of pilots, space engineers and payload experts, and the selection of its fourth-batch taikonauts will be completed soon, according to Lin.

After joining the team, the fourth-batch members will work with other active taikonauts to carry out follow-up space station missions and realize the country's manned landing on the moon.

As a next step, China will also promote the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourist in its space station flight missions.

"More new members from different backgrounds will be welcomed to China's space station in the near future," said Lin.

China's first manned lunar landing in preparation

China plans to perform its first crewed lunar landing by 2030, and all systems are now under development and construction as planned.

Major flight products for the mission, such as the Long March-10 carrier rocket, the Mengzhou (Dream Vessel) manned spacecraft, the Lanyue (Embracing the Moon) lunar lander and the landing suits, have completed their design, and are under production of prototypes and various tests, said Lin.

For the spacecraft and the lander, the research and development of thermal mechanical test products has been basically completed, and the rocket is undergoing ground tests with different types of engines, said Lin, adding that the construction of the manned lunar exploration launch site in Wenchang is in full swing.

(Cover: Chinese astronauts Ye Guangfu (C), Li Cong (R) and Li Guangsu will carry out the Shenzhou-18 manned spaceflight mission. /China Media Group)