China’s spacecraft, Shenzhou-17, also known as the “Divine Vessel,” successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre. This marks a significant step in China’s mission to send “taikonauts” to the lunar surface. The crew, led by astronaut Tang Hongbo, includes first-time space travelers Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin. This mission sets a record for the youngest crew to visit the Tiangong space station, which was completed in 2022 and can host up to three astronauts.
The Shenzhou-17 team will take over from the Shenzhou-16 crew, who are scheduled to return to Earth on October 31. China’s ambitious space program, spearheaded by President Xi Jinping, aims to compete with the US and Russia for dominance in outer space. The country is also planning to send astronauts to the moon before the decade’s end. In addition to the recent Shenzhou-17 launch, China announced plans for a new deep-space telescope, though the installation timeline remains unspecified. China’s first manned space mission took place in 2003, making it the third nation, after the former Soviet Union and the US, to achieve this milestone using its own resources.
