BEIJING (Reuters) – China will send three astronauts into low-Earth orbit on Thursday in the country’s 13th crewed mission to space, marking more than two decades of Chinese human spaceflight.
Of the 13 crewed missions, half were visits to China’s independently built space station Tiangong, or “Celestial Palace” in Chinese.
The latest Shenzhou-18 mission to the space station will be led by Ye Guangfu, 43.
China launched its first uncrewed spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, in November 1999. Three more unmanned flights followed before Yang Liwei became the first Chinese national to be sent into space on Shenzhou-5.
Mission Year/Month of Launch Crew Gender
Shenzhou-5 2003/October Yang Liwei Male
Shenzhou-6 2005/October Fei Junlong Male
Nie Haisheng Male
Shenzhou-7 2008/September Zhai Zhigang Male
Liu Boming Male
Jing Haipeng Male
Shenzhou-9 2012/June Jing Haipeng Male
Liu Wang Male
Liu Yang Female
Shenzhou-10 2013/June Nie Haisheng Male
Zhang Xiaoguang Male
Wang Yaping Female
Shenzhou-11 2016/October Jing Haipeng Male
Chen Dong Male
Shenzhou-12 2021/June Nie Haisheng Male
Liu Boming Male
Tang Hongbo Male
Shenzhou-13 2021/October Zhai Zhigang Male
Wang Yaping Female
Ye Guangfu Male
Shenzhou-14 2022/June Chen Dong Male
Liu Yang Female
Cai Xuzhe Male
Shenzhou-15 2022/November Fei Junlong Male
Deng Qingming Male
Zhang Lu Male
Shenzhou-16 2023/May Jing Haipeng Male
Zhu Yangzhu Male
Gui Haichao Male
Shenzhou-17 2023/October Tang Hongbo Male
Tang Shengjie Male
Jiang Xinlin Male
Shenzhou-18 2024/April Ye Guangfu Male
Li Cong Male
Li Guangsu Male
(Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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