When China’s inaugural astronaut, Yang Liwei, embarked on his journey into space in 2003, it marked a significant moment in history, underscoring China’s emergence as a space power. Over the past two decades, China has solidified its presence in space, demonstrating its economic, political, and military ascendancy on Earth as well. Today, China boasts its own fully operational space station, a permanent outpost in orbit that regularly accommodates rotating crews for extended periods.
On a momentous Thursday, three Chinese astronauts launched into space aboard the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, nestled deep in the Gobi Desert. Their destination? The Tiangong space station, where they will reside and work for a span of six months. This particular crew holds the distinction of being the youngest ever dispatched by China, with an average age of 38. Among their tasks aboard is the repair of solar panels damaged by space debris, a first for Chinese astronauts conducting extravehicular repair work.
This mission, named Shenzhou-17, marks China’s sixth manned venture to its space station since 2021. The newly arrived crew will take over from the existing Shenzhou-16 team, who have been on board since May. Prior to their launch, the crew was given a ceremonial send-off, accompanied by government officials and fervent supporters lining the roads. The astronauts waved to the crowd, who proudly displayed Chinese flags and flowers. A band played patriotic melodies, and the crowd enthusiastically joined in song.
For Yang Liwei, who has bid farewell to many Chinese astronauts embarking on their missions since his own historic flight, this launch holds special significance, occurring just days after the 20th anniversary of his personal voyage. Expressing his sentiments, Yang stated, “Reflecting on this launch as a veteran, the remarkable progress of China’s manned spaceflight program is evident. Over the past two decades, it has experienced rapid growth, amassing great achievements.” Yang shared these thoughts with CNN at the Jiuquan center on the day before the launch.
Completed in the latter part of the previous year, Tiangong, meaning “heavenly palace” in Chinese, signifies China’s ambition and capabilities in space. It serves as a symbol of China’s ascent after being excluded from the US-led International Space Station (ISS), the result of espionage-related concerns that prompted Congress to enact the Wolf Amendment in 2011. China has pursued collaborations with international partners, offering access to its space station for conducting experiments. As the ISS is scheduled for retirement around 2030, China plans to expand Tiangong by adding three modules, enabling a greater number of astronauts to reside concurrently. Presently, the space station can accommodate a maximum of three astronauts, compared to seven at the ISS.
Yang Liwei expresses enthusiasm for the new generation of Chinese taikonauts carrying on the legacy. He states, “In them, I witness the strength of our reserve force and the hope for the future development of China’s aerospace industry.” Among the Shenzhou-17 crew members are Tang Shengjie, 33, and Jiang Xinlin, 35, who joined China’s third group of astronauts a little over three years ago. Leading the team is Tang Hongbo, 48, a member of China’s second group of astronauts. Tang, a former fighter jet pilot, participated in China’s maiden crewed mission to the space station in 2021 and now holds the record for the shortest duration between two spaceflight missions by Chinese astronauts.
China’s space ambitions extend further than Tiangong. In 2019, China achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first nation to successfully land on the far side of the moon. The following year, it launched its final Beidou satellite into orbit, positioning itself as a formidable challenger to the US Global Positioning System (GPS). In 2021, China joined the US as the only nation with a functional rover on Mars. Plans are underway to bring back samples from the moon’s far side next year, and by the end of the decade, China aims to send astronauts to the moon and establish an international lunar research station. Russia, Venezuela, and South Africa are reportedly among the countries that have joined China’s lunar station project.
Former NASA astronaut and ISS commander Leroy Chiao recognizes the primary challenge faced by China’s space program – acquiring operational experience comparable to that of NASA. Chiao highlights the decades of spacecraft and space station operation that NASA has undertaken, emphasizing the wealth of expertise and know-how in astronaut training and space operations. Closing the gap in this respect presents the next hurdle for China’s space endeavors.
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