The team for the next manned mission to the Tiangong space station will include the youngest astronaut in a chinese space missionas well as four mice, authorities announced Thursday.
The Shenzhou-21 mission should take off on Friday at 10:44 p.m. (3:44 p.m. GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, announced Zhang Jingbo, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Agency (AETEC).
The Tiangong space station, manned by teams of three astronauts who rotate every six months, is the crown jewel of the space program with which China seeks to catch up with the United States and Russia.
The new team will be headed by veteran space pilot Zhang Lu, who participated two years ago in the Shenzhou-15 mission.
He will be accompanied by cargo specialist Zhang Hongzhang and flight engineer Wu Fei, both on their first space flight.
Wu, who recently turned 32, will become the youngest Chinese astronaut to undertake a space mission, officials said.
Four mice, two male and two female, will also be sent, with which the first Chinese experiments with rodents in orbit will be carried out, Zhang said.
Beijing aims to send a manned mission to the Moon by 2030, and intends to build a base on the lunar surface.
AETEC stated Thursday that it remains firm on that goal and outlined a series of “crucial upcoming tests” it is conducting in preparation.