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The youngest-ever crew of Chinese astronauts embarked on a mission to China’s space station, signaling the advancement of the country’s space ambitions. The spacecraft, named Shenzhou-17 or “Divine Vessel,” carried three passengers and was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.

Leading the six-month mission was Tang Hongbo, a former air force pilot and member of China’s second batch of astronauts in 2010. Tang previously participated in the first crewed mission to the space station in 2021. His return to the space station set a new record for the shortest interval between two spaceflight missions by Chinese astronauts, suggesting a more frequent rotation of astronauts in the future.

Tang was accompanied by Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, both from China’s third batch of astronauts. They joined the space program in September 2020 and were traveling to space for the first time.

China has already started the selection process for its fourth batch of astronauts, considering candidates with doctoral degrees in various disciplines. Additionally, for the first time, individuals from Hong Kong and Macau are also being allowed to apply.

China’s space program has its distinctive characteristics. While the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS) uses English as the working language, only Chinese is used on China’s space station, Tiangong. Fluency in Chinese is thus a crucial requirement for foreign astronauts interested in joint flights to Tiangong.

Tiangong has become a symbol of China’s growing confidence in its space endeavors, as it was developed independently after being excluded from the ISS program due to U.S. legal restrictions. The space station can accommodate up to three astronauts and has an operational lifespan of more than 15 years.

The Shenzhou-17 mission replaced the previous crew, Shenzhou-16, which arrived at Tiangong in May. The Shenzhou-16 crew, consisting of veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao, is scheduled to return to Earth on October 31.

The launch of Shenzhou-17 marks China’s 12th crewed mission since Yang Liwei’s historic solo spaceflight in October 2003, when he became the first Chinese national in space.

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