China has declared a “complete success” after launching a new three-person crew to its orbiting space station early Wednesday. The Shenzhou-19 spaceship carrying the trio blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. local time atop a Long March-2F rocket, marking another milestone in China’s space exploration efforts.
The crew, consisting of two men and one woman, is in good condition following the successful launch. This mission is part of China’s ambitious plans to expand its presence in outer space, including missions to the moon and beyond.
China's space program has been making significant strides, with the country building its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station. The new crew will replace the astronauts who have been living on the Tiangong space station for the past six months and are expected to stay until April or May of next year.
The team includes a mix of experienced and first-time space travelers, with the mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, having previously gone to space in the Shenzhou-14 mission. Song Lingdong, an air force pilot, and Wang Haoze, an engineer with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, complete the crew.
China's space agency has set ambitious goals, including landing a person on the moon before 2030, establishing a research station on the moon, and conducting groundbreaking missions such as transferring rock and soil samples from the far side of the moon. The country's space program is a source of national pride and showcases China's technological advancements over the past two decades.
As the crew embarks on their mission, they will perform spacewalks and install new equipment to protect the space station from space debris, some of which was created by China itself. China's space authorities have contingency measures in place in case the astronauts need to return to Earth earlier than planned.
While the U.S. remains a leader in space exploration, China's progress in its space program highlights a growing rivalry between the two nations and others like Japan and India. With its recent achievements and future plans, China is positioning itself as a key player in the global space race.
