BEIJING- China's youngest-ever crew of astronauts embarked on a historic mission to the country's space station, ushering in a new era of "taikonauts" poised to shape China's space ambitions. The Shenzhou-17 spacecraft, also known as the "Divine Vessel," soared into space atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China.
This mission, led by former air force pilot Tang Hongbo, aged 48, marked his second journey to the space station after his participation in the inaugural crewed mission in 2021. Notably, the Shenzhou-17 mission set a new record for the shortest interval between two spaceflight missions by taikonauts, reflecting China's intention to expedite crew rotations.
Tang Hongbo, hailing from China's second batch of astronauts in 2010, experienced over a decade-long wait before his initial spaceflight in 2021. In contrast, his fellow crew members, Tang Shengjie (33) and Jiang Xinlin (35), both part of China's third batch of astronauts since September 2020, were making their debut space voyages.
China has already initiated the selection process for the fourth batch of astronauts, actively seeking candidates with doctoral degrees spanning various disciplines, including biology, physics, chemistry, biomedical engineering, and astronomy. Furthermore, the selection process is now open to applicants from Hong Kong and Macau for the first time.
Notably, China's first and second batches of astronauts primarily consisted of former air force pilots, much like Tang Hongbo, who joined the People's Liberation Army at a young age in 1995.
While China is eager to internationalize its space missions and accommodate foreign astronauts on joint flights to Tiangong, its space program maintains distinct Chinese characteristics. Unlike the NASA-led International Space Station (ISS), where English serves as the working language, only Chinese is used on Tiangong. Proficiency in the Chinese language has become a crucial criterion for foreign participants.
Tiangong, completed in late 2022, boasts a maximum occupancy of three astronauts at an orbital altitude of up to 450 km (280 miles) and an operational lifespan of more than 15 years. The Shenzhou-17 crew will replace the Shenzhou-16 crew, which arrived at Tiangong at the end of May. The Shenzhou-16 crew, comprising seasoned astronaut Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu, and Gui Haichao, is scheduled to return to Earth on October 31. Zhu and Gui, both in their 30s, belong to China's third batch of astronauts.
The Shenzhou-17 mission represents China's 12th crewed mission since Yang Liwei's groundbreaking solo spaceflight in October 2003, which marked the first Chinese national in space.