This photo shows Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe (C), Song Lingdong (R) and Wang Haoze who will carry out the Shenzhou-19 spaceflight mission. Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze will carry out the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission, and Cai will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency announced at a press conference on Tuesday. (Xinhua)
JIUQUAN, Oct. 29 (Xinhua) -- Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze will carry out the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceflight mission, and Cai will be the commander, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced at a press conference on Tuesday.
Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson of the agency, said the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 4:27 a.m. Wednesday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Cai completed the Shenzhou-14 space mission in 2022. Song and Wang, among the third batch of Chinese astronauts, are newcomers to space. Both of them were born in the 1990s.
Song was a former air force pilot before being selected as an astronaut, and Wang previously served as a senior engineer at the Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
Wang is currently China's only female space flight engineer and will become the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed spaceflight mission, the agency noted.
The Shenzhou-19 astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-18 trio and stay at the space station, Tiangong, for approximately six months. During the mission, they will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-8 cargo craft and Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship.
Talking about his upcoming return journey to space, Cai, the 48-year-old commander, said that the bustling space life during his previous mission remains vivid.
From a space rookie in the Shenzhou-14 trio to now the leader of the Shenzhou-19 crew, Cai said he felt proud and had a greater sense of responsibility. He pledged to work with his colleagues to do their best to enhance operational quality and emergency response capabilities.
The new crew will have many tasks to complete, including conducting space science and application tests, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and installing and recycling extravehicular payloads and equipment. They will also engage in science education, public welfare activities, and other payload tests.
"The safety of astronauts is always the top concern for the governments and people around the world," the CMSA spokesperson said, adding that China also paid close attention to the delayed return of two American astronauts remaining at the International Space Station.
"We extend our best wishes for the safe return of the two astronauts," Lin said.
He emphasized that China has continuously enhanced its emergency response plan for potential threats like space debris. The time available for astronauts to respond to emergencies has now increased by five times compared to the early operation phase of China's space station.
According to Lin, in extreme situations, astronauts onboard the space station have two options for returning: either they can return using in-orbit spacecraft or wait for the launch of the standby spacecraft for emergency rescue.
The Shenzhou-19 astronauts are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region in late April or early May next year, according to the CMSA. ■
