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China is progressing as planned toward its goal of sending astronauts to the Moon by 2030. Chinese astronauts Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang, who will participate in the Shenzhou-21 space mission, were introduced to the public ahead of their journey.
The announcement was made at a press conference presenting the new crew that will be sent to China’s space station.
Zhang Jingbo, a spokesperson for China’s Manned Space Program, said, “Research and development work aimed at sending humans to the Moon is proceeding smoothly at every stage.” Zhang cited progress with the Long March 10 rocket, lunar landing suits, and exploration vehicles as examples, adding, “Our goal to land a Chinese astronaut on the Moon by 2030 is certain.”
China is also preparing to send the new crew into space as part of the mission to complete the Tiangong space station. Each team stays on the station for six months, conducting scientific research.
The new crew consists of Zhang Lu, Wu Fei, and Zhang Hongzhang. The trio is scheduled to launch from the Jiuquan launch center at 23:44 local time on Friday. Zhang Lu previously served on the Shenzhou-15 mission, while Wu Fei and Zhang Hongzhang are making their first spaceflight.
The astronauts will carry two female and two male mice. The experiment will study the effects of weightlessness and closed living conditions on the animals.
China began working on its Tiangong space station after being excluded from the International Space Station due to US security concerns. The project is considered a cornerstone of China’s long-term goal of independent space research.
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