China's Shenzhou-19 mission sets course for heavenly palace
The Shenzhou-19 spacecraft (Divine Ship) launched from the Jiuquan launch centre in the Gobi Desert. The Chinese spacecraft's mission is the Tiangong space station, which translates to Heavenly Palace.
30 October 2024 13:01
The Chinese space mission Shenzhou-19 was launched at the Jiuquan launch centre. Three astronauts are travelling aboard the spacecraft. Their stay at the orbital station Tiangong will last six months.
On Tuesday at 3:27 PM Eastern Time (Wednesday, 4:27 AM local time), the Long March 2F rocket launched from the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The goal of the flight is to carry the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft with a three-person crew on board. The Polish Press Agency, citing Reuters, provided this information.
The Chinese head to the Heavenly Palace
The mission commander is 48-year-old Cai Xuzhe, a veteran of the Shenzhou-14 flight in 2022. Newcomers, including Air Force pilot Song Lingdong, join him. Another person accompanying him on the journey is Wang Haoze, both born in the '90s. The 34-year-old Wang is the third Chinese woman in space and the first female spaceflight engineer.
During their half-year stay at the Tiangong station, the crew will conduct 86 scientific experiments in space life sciences, microgravity physics, materials technology, medicine, and new technologies. Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), announced the mission's objectives during a Tuesday press conference.
Onboard the station, instruments necessary for remote spacecraft operation and supporting spacewalks will be delivered with the astronauts. The Chinese also plan to install new equipment to protect the Tiangong station from space debris.
Tiangong space station
The Chinese Tiangong space station, also known as the "Heavenly Palace," is one of the significant achievements of the China National Space Administration (CNSA). It surprised the world with its advanced technological level and marked China's power in space.
Unlike the ISS, which results from international cooperation, Tiangong is the only facility managed by a single country. The core module Tianhe was launched into low Earth orbit in 2021, and subsequent units, Wentian and Mengtian, joined it in 2022. The station measures 45 metres in length and weighs about 60,000 kilograms.
