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Thursday, Jun 18, 2026
Outside the box.
China's Shenzhou-19 Mission Launches to Tiangong Space Station
Mission aims for lunar advancements with experienced crew of three
On Wednesday, China launched its Shenzhou-19 mission from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, sending three astronauts, including Wang Haoze, the country's only woman spaceflight engineer, to the Tiangong space station.
The mission aims to carry out several experiments crucial for China's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and potentially building a lunar base.
Cai Xuzhe, heading the crew, brings experience from his previous mission on Tiangong, Shenzhou-14.
The team also includes Song Lingdong.
They will replace the current crew aboard Tiangong, who are scheduled to return to Earth on November 4.
The Shenzhou-19 mission will last until late April or early May next year.
Experiments on 'bricks' imitating lunar soil, to be studied under harsh space conditions, will be part of their tasks, as China seeks cost-effective lunar construction materials.
This initiative supports China's growing space ambitions, highlighted by past achievements like the Chang'e-4 Moon landing in 2019 and Mars rover deployment in 2021.
The mission aims to carry out several experiments crucial for China's goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and potentially building a lunar base.
Cai Xuzhe, heading the crew, brings experience from his previous mission on Tiangong, Shenzhou-14.
The team also includes Song Lingdong.
They will replace the current crew aboard Tiangong, who are scheduled to return to Earth on November 4.
The Shenzhou-19 mission will last until late April or early May next year.
Experiments on 'bricks' imitating lunar soil, to be studied under harsh space conditions, will be part of their tasks, as China seeks cost-effective lunar construction materials.
This initiative supports China's growing space ambitions, highlighted by past achievements like the Chang'e-4 Moon landing in 2019 and Mars rover deployment in 2021.