The Chinese manned space agency announced that it will launch the Shenzhou-16 manned spacecraft at 9:31 am Beijing time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Three astronauts, Jing Haiping, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haicao, will be carried on board to carry out the “Shenzhou-16” mission, and Jing will be the crew commander.
The Long March-2F carrier rocket will be used for the launch, and the fuel will be filled soon.
The crew is expected to stay in orbit for about five months, and will return in November this year.
The astronauts of the Shenzhou-16 mission will carry out large-scale experiments and tests in various fields as planned. These pioneers are expected to achieve high-level scientific achievements in the study of new quantum phenomena, high-precision space-time frequency systems, and the verification of general relativity and the origin of life.
In addition, Shenzhou-16 will install electric thrust cylinders and camera lifts outside the space station, and will complete the mission by installing large application facilities outside the station such as biological radiation experiment equipment.
Shenzhou-16 is the second flight of China’s manned space program this year and the first manned mission after the Chinese space station entered the application and development stage.
