According to the Xinhua news agency, the crew members have successfully arrived at the Chinese space station and met with the previous crew, marking another rotation of astronauts in orbit. This is already the seventh mission to the "Heavenly Palace" since its launch in 2022.
The crew of the new flight includes commander Zhang Lu (48 years old), who previously participated in the "Shenzhou-15" mission in 2022, as well as 39-year-old Zhang Hongzhang and 32-year-old Wu Fei, who has become the youngest astronaut in the Chinese space program.
Four black mice were also sent to the station, becoming the first small mammals to participate in reproduction experiments in low Earth orbit conditions.
The "Shenzhou" launches are now conducted twice a year, indicating significant progress in the program: among the astronauts, there are already representatives born in the 1990s, and China has set a world record for the duration of spacewalks.
Next year, the participation of the first foreign astronaut from Pakistan is expected. The rapid development of the Chinese space program is causing concern in Washington, where officials are stating plans to return American astronauts to the Moon before China does.
