China's 14th crewed space mission 'Shenzhou-19' begins

The Long March-2F carrier rocket, aiming to transport 3 Chinese astronauts to the Tiangong Space Station as part of the Shenzhou-19 mission, was successfully launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert at 23:27 Turkish time.

In a statement made by the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), it was reported that Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze will replace the astronauts who have been at the Tiangong Space Station for the last six months.

It was announced that the team will conduct a series of scientific studies as part of the Shenzhou-19 mission, which will last until April or May, including performing application tests, conducting extravehicular activities, installing protective devices against space debris and extravehicular payloads, and performing payload tests.

ONE OF THE TEAM MEMBERS IS AN EXPERIENCED ASTRONAUT

While it was reported that mission commander Cai Xuzhe is an experienced astronaut who went to space with the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022, it was announced that one of the astronauts, Song, is a former air force pilot.

It was stated that Wang, who was previously a senior engineer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, is also currently China's only female space flight engineer and the third Chinese woman to embark on a crewed space flight mission.