Shenzhou-20 Crew, Launch Date, and Experiments Revealed

China’s Shenzhou-20 crewed mission to the Tiangong space station is scheduled for launch on Thursday, coinciding with China’s Space Day, using the Long March-2F Y20 rocket. The crew consists of veteran taikonaut Chen Dong and first-time astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, who will rotate with the Shenzhou-19 team and conduct scientific experiments, including China’s first planarian regeneration study in space and planned extravehicular activities. Preparations are proceeding smoothly, and the Shenzhou-19 crew is set to return to Earth on April 29 after a handover. The mission supports China's broader goal of landing astronauts on the Moon by 2030, with ongoing tests for the Mengzhou crewed spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar lander. China’s space program continues to make significant advances, although it still trails the United States in lunar exploration. These efforts reinforce China’s status as a leading spacefaring nation.