China sends latest generation of astronauts to Tiangong station

The Shenzhou-17 spacecraft and three astronauts lifted off on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. Leading the six-month mission is former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, 48, who traveled to the Tiangong space station in 2021.

Astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin wave before boarding the spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province, China on October 26. Photo: China Daily

Tang Hongbo's return to the Tiangong space station also set a new record for the shortest time between two space missions by Chinese astronauts. It shows that the turnover rate of Chinese astronauts will be faster in the coming years.

Tang Hongbo, part of China's second batch of astronauts in 2010, had to wait more than a decade before being selected for his first spaceflight in 2021.

Meanwhile, the other two Shenzhou-17 astronauts are part of China's newest generation of astronauts. They are Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, both of whom are traveling into space for the first time. They joined China's third batch of astronauts in September 2020.

China has now begun the selection process for its fourth batch of astronauts, seeking candidates with doctoral degrees in fields ranging from biology, physics, chemistry to biomedical engineering and astronomy.

The first and second groups of astronauts are all former air force pilots, like Tang Hongbo, who joined the People's Liberation Army in 1995 at the age of 20.

The moment the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft was launched. Photo: China Daily

The Tiangong station has become a symbol of China’s growing confidence in its space efforts after being sidelined for decades by the ISS. US law prohibits China from having any cooperation, directly or indirectly, with NASA.

The Tiangong, to be completed by the end of 2022, will be able to accommodate up to three astronauts at an orbital altitude of up to 450 kilometers and will have a lifespan of more than 15 years. The Shenzhou-17 astronauts will replace the Shenzhou-16 crew, who arrived at Tiangong in late May.

Shenzhou-17 marks China's 12th crewed mission since the solo spaceflight of Yang Liwei in October 2003, the first Chinese citizen to fly into space.

Hoang Hai (according to Xinhua News Agency, China Daily, Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/trung-quoc-dua-the-he-phi-hanh-gia-moi-nhat-len-tram-vu-tru-thien-cung-post270110.html