China Launches Shenzhou-19 Mission, Eyes Moon Base by 2030

AFP

Beijing: Three Chinese astronauts, including the nation’s only female spaceflight engineer, launched on a mission to the Tiangong space station early Wednesday.

The mission, part of China’s ambitious goal to place astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually establish a lunar base, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 4:27 am local time (2027 GMT Tuesday), as reported by Xinhua and CCTV.

The crew, led by 48-year-old Cai Xuzhe, a seasoned former air force pilot, includes Wang Haoze, 34, China’s only female spaceflight engineer, and Song Lingdong, also 34.

Wang, the third Chinese woman to join a crewed space mission, expressed her aspiration to “protect our home in space” and to journey into deep space someday. The mission, Shenzhou-19, was deemed a “complete success” after the spacecraft entered its designated orbit approximately 10 minutes post-launch.

The spacecraft is set to complete an automated docking with the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong space station, where it will join two other modules and additional spacecraft.

The current Tiangong crew will return to Earth on November 4 after a scheduled handover. Cai stated that the team is fully prepared for the mission ahead, which is expected to continue until late April or early May 2025.

This mission marks another milestone in China’s growing “space dream” under President Xi Jinping, following successful lunar and Mars landings in recent years. The Tiangong space station, China’s third human spaceflight venture and a symbol of its space program’s expansion, rotates crews every six months.

As part of their mission, the Shenzhou-19 crew will conduct various experiments, including testing “bricks” made from materials mimicking lunar soil to assess their durability in extreme space conditions.

China has committed significant resources to its space program, aiming to rival the United States and Europe. With a planned crewed lunar mission by 2030, China seeks to construct a base on the Moon, potentially using lunar soil for construction materials to reduce transport costs.

While the Shenzhou-19 mission may not produce groundbreaking results, experts highlight its importance in gaining valuable experience for China’s future deep-space ambitions.