Youngest Crew Embarks on China’s Tiangong Space Station Mission, Paving the Way for Lunar Exploration

In its ongoing pursuit of advancing its capabilities in crewed space missions, China achieved a significant milestone on Thursday by sending its youngest-ever crew to the Tiangong space station, with plans for a lunar landing by 2030. The “Shenzhou-17” mission, carried by the “Long March 2F” rocket, successfully launched at 11:14 local time (03:14 UTC) from the Jiuquan launch center in the Gobi Desert, as reported by China Central Television (CCTV).

The crew consists of mission commander Tang Hongbo (48 years old), his colleague Tang Shangji (33 years old), and Jiang Shixian (35 years old). Notably, the average age of the crew is 38, demonstrating a younger profile compared to the previous “Shenzhou-16” mission, which had an average age of 42.

The launch drew the presence of numerous employees from the space program, many of whom reside year-round at the expansive Jiuquan site. They witnessed the launch process and celebrated the success of the mission, underscoring the achievement for China’s space exploration endeavors.

Lin Shichang, a spokesperson for the Chinese space program, mentioned that the spacecraft is anticipated to dock with the core module of the Tiangong station “approximately six and a half hours” after liftoff. The astronauts are slated to spend six months aboard the space station.

This development is a key step for China as it aspires to send a Chinese astronaut to the moon by 2030, representing a focal point of a space program that has been steadily advancing over the decades.

The Tiangong station, now in its final T-shaped form, has been completed for several months. Although smaller than the former Soviet Mir space station, it closely resembles it. Known as the “CSS” (Chinese Space Station), it is expected to remain in Earth’s orbit for at least 10 years.

China’s decision to independently fund its space station stemmed, in part, from the U.S. denying its participation in the International Space Station. Collaboration between U.S. and Chinese space authorities is almost entirely restricted by U.S. law. China’s space ambitions continue to progress under the leadership of President Xi Jinping.

In recent years, China has made significant financial investments in its military-led space program, enabling it to narrow the gap with, and in certain aspects surpass, the U.S. and Russia. The first Chinese astronaut journeyed into space in 2003, and the space station “Tiangong” achieved full operational status by the end of 2022.