China launched a three-member crew into orbit on Thursday to begin a six-month mission aboard the Tiangong space station.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province at 5:17 a.m. ET with three crew members led by commander Chen Dong. This is its third mission in space.
For the remaining crew members, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, this is their first mission. The trio is expected to reach and dock with Tiangong shortly before noon EST, relieving the Shenzhou-19 crew, who will then prepare for their return to Earth scheduled for April 29.
This is Commander Chen's second visit to Tiangong, as he also led the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022. His debut mission was in 2016, when he visited the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, the predecessor of the current station.
“I feel very proud and honored to go on a space journey again for my country. It is a great privilege and joy,” Chen said at a news conference on Wednesday, adding: “On the other hand, I have high expectations. Every spaceflight is unique, and I look forward to gaining new experiences and making new breakthroughs during this mission.”
Shenzhou-20 is the ninth mission to the Tiangong station, which China reportedly plans to expand and permanently staff for at least a decade and then eventually open to commercial use.
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