China successfully launches new crew to space station

The Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship was launched by a Long March-2F carrier rocket, early Wednesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.               About 10 minutes after the launch, the Shenzhou-19 spaceship separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA announced.

The spaceship will perform a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe in about 6.5 hours, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft.

China built its space station after it was reportedly excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) over concerns that China’s space programme is manned by its military, the People’s Liberation Army, (PLA). It is currently the only country to have a space station.

The ISS is a collaborative project of several countries. Observers say China’s space station may become the only one of its kind in orbit once the ISS retires in the coming years.

The two robotic arms of the station, especially the long one which has the ability to grab objects including satellites from space, drew international concerns. Besides building its space station, China has launched a number of space missions including a lunar probe that collected samples for the first time from the far side of the moon and brought them back to earth for scientific studies.

The Shenzhou-19 crew consists of mission commander Cai Xuzhe, and astronauts Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze. Wang is currently China’s only female space engineer and the third Chinese woman participating in a crewed spaceflight mission, the CMSA said.

The tasks for new crew included conducting space science and application tests, performing extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris, and managing the installation and recycling of extravehicular payloads and equipment.

Lin Xiqiang, CMSA spokesperson told a press conference on Tuesday that the crew will carry out 86 space science research and technology experiments, covering various fields including space life science, microgravity fundamental physics, space material science, space medicine and new space technologies. The Shenzhou-19 astronauts will complete in-orbit rotation with the trio currently manning and stay at the space station for approximately six months..

China is also engaging in discussions to select and train astronauts from partner nations, inviting international counterparts to join its space station flight missions, Lin said. Considering the close ties, an astronaut from Pakistan was expected to join in future space station missions.

“No matter which country participates, it is humanity’s collective quest to unravel the mysteries of the cosmos,” Lin said.