Three of China’s taikonauts are making ready to journey to the Tiangong area station on the nation’s eighth long-duration spaceflight.
Commander Cai Xuzhe will lead the roughly 6.5-hour Shenzhou-19 mission alongside Tune Lingdong and Wang Haoze. They’ll experience aboard a LongMarch 2F Y19 rocket, which started fueling at about 9 a.m. BJT on Oct. 29 (9 p.m. EDT on Oct. 28, 0100 UTC on Oct. 29).
Liftoff from the Jiuquan Satellite tv for pc Launch Middle in northwest China is ready for 4:27 a.m. BJT on Oct. 30 (4:27 p.m. EDT, 2027 UTC on Oct. 29).
Xuzhe is making his second journey to area after beforehand flying on Shenzhou-14 in 2022. Throughout that mission, the 44-year-old Individuals’s Liberation Military Air Drive pilot carried out one spacewalk, amassing a bit of greater than 4 hours in complete.
Haoze will not be solely making her first journey to area, however based on the state-run information outlet, China World Tv Community (CGTN), she can even develop into the primary feminine spaceflight engineer from China to go to area. She additionally holds the excellence of being simply the third lady from China to go to orbital area, following within the footsteps of Liu Yang and Wang Yaping.
Lingdong, one other Air Drive pilot, can be making his first journey to area as properly. As with Haoze, 34-year-old Lingdong additionally turned a part of the third group of taikonauts in 2020.
Talking with the state-run information outlet, China World Tv Community (CGTN), he spoke concerning the aspiration of lastly going to area.
“I flew at daybreak as soon as, reaching 20,000 meters, and noticed the Earth’s curve. Watching the dawn at that peak made me really feel each small and extremely fortunate,” Lingdong stated. “Now, I’m thrilled to have the prospect to see the grandeur of area from our area station.”
The trio of the Shenzhou-18 mission, Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu, will return from the TSS after a short handover with the incoming taikonauts.