Crew Composition and Launch Details
The Shenzhou 20 mission will launch three astronauts—Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie—from , China, aiming to replace the current crew on the Chinese space station for a six-month mission.
Chen Dong, a veteran astronaut, leads the mission, with his crewmates making their inaugural space flights. The launch is scheduled for Thursday evening, with the crew expected to return on April 29.
Mission Objectives and Context
The Shenzhou 20 mission aims to conduct experiments in space medicine and technology, perform extravehicular activities, and enhance the Chinese space station, reflecting China's expanding space exploration efforts.
Excluded from the International Space Station, China has rapidly advanced its space program, landing explorers on Mars and the moon's far side, with ambitions to land a person on the moon by 2030.