On October 30, China announced the crew for the next flight to the Tianjin Space Station. Notably, the crew this time will include the youngest crew member to ever performed a Chinese space mission, along with 4 mice for an experiment in orbit.
The Chinack manned space agency (CMSA) said that the Thanh Chau 21 mission is expected to launch at 1:44 p.m. on October 31 (local time) from the Zhou Huang Satellite Funds Center in northwest China.
The Tianjin Space Station, with three crews rotating every 6 months, is considered a " precious gem" in China's space program. The country has poured billions of dollars into the program in an effort to catch up with the US and Russia.
The crew this time includes flight engineer Wu Fei, who has just turned 32, will become the youngest Chinese pilot to carry out a space mission.
Speaking to reporters, Wu Fei said he felt extremely lucky to be able to "incorporate his personal dream into the glorious journey of China's space program". The mission's commander is veteran pilot Zhang Lu, 48 years old, who participated in the Than Chau 15 mission more than 2 years ago. The final crew member was cargo specialist Zhang Hongzhang, 39.
Another notable detail of the mission is the appearance of four mice, including two male and two female. CMSA spokesperson Zhang Jingbo said this would be the first time China has conducted orbital experiments on lobsters.
These experiments are important for studying the adaptation of da da dam to the microgravity environment, paving the way for more complex biological studies in the future.
Commander Zhang Lu expressed confidence that his team will "report to the homeland and people for complete success".
China's space program has made great strides, becoming the third country to send people into space and successfully landed autonomous robots on Mars and the Moon.
Under General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, China has stepped up plans to achieve the "space dream". Beijing aims to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030 and intends to build a moon base.
CMSA also confirmed that it is holding to that goal and outlining a series of "keyatives to prepare for, including the testing of the Lanyue lunar landing gear and the Mengzhou manned spaceship.
