China is preparing for a historic moment as it plans to send its first civilian astronaut into space as part of a crewed mission to the Tiangong space station. Gui Haichao, a payload expert and professor at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, will embark on this momentous journey on Tuesday. The China Manned Space Agency announced that the launch will take place at 9:31 am local time (01:31 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
Until now, all Chinese astronauts sent into space have been members of the People’s Liberation Army. Gui Haichao’s role will primarily focus on the on-orbit operation of space science experimental payloads, according to the agency spokesperson.
The mission will be commanded by Jing Haipeng, who is embarking on his fourth journey into space, as reported by state media. Engineer Zhu Yangzhu will join them as the third crew member.
China has made significant investments in its space program, with ambitions to land astronauts on the moon by 2030. The construction of the Tiangong space station was completed last year, marking China’s third and permanent space station. Equipped with advanced scientific instruments, including the world’s first space-based cold atomic clock system, Tiangong is expected to remain in low Earth orbit for at least a decade, fostering long-term human presence in space.
While China’s space program is not currently engaged in global cooperation on the scale of the International Space Station, Beijing has expressed openness to foreign collaboration. The extent of such cooperation is yet to be determined, as China has been excluded from the International Space Station since 2011 when NASA was prohibited from partnering with the country.
China’s foray into space exploration and its commitment to scientific advancements marks a significant milestone in its pursuit to catch up with the United States and Russia in the field of space exploration. As Gui Haichao prepares to embark on this groundbreaking mission, the world awaits the valuable contributions and discoveries that will emerge from China’s expanding space program.