Shenzhou-20 Crew Commander Speaks on Mission Goals | China Space Station

Shenzhou-20 Crew Commander Speaks on Mission Goals | China Space Station

Veteran Chinese astronaut and Shenzhou-20 crew commander Chen Dong, preparing for his third voyage to space, shared his unwavering passion for and pride in the nation's space program, as he shared with the media that each mission is irreplaceable—a blend of honor, responsibility and the thrill of pushing boundaries.

Chen also emphasized the profound significance of contributing to China's space ambitions. He expressed high expectations for this mission, saying he got more familiar and proficient with each voyage, that, he added, will better help him be able to fully support the team.

China's Shenzhou-20 astronauts, Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie, met the press on Wednesday, April 23, 2025. The Shenzhou-20 crewed mission is currently scheduled for lift off at 5:17 p.m. Beijing Time on April 24—coinciding with China's Space Day in 2025.

The three astronauts will take over command of China's Tiangong Space Station from the Shenzhou-19 crew currently in orbit, and will spend about six months in space.

Chen Dong participated in the Shenzhou-11 and Shenzhou-14 space missions. He served as the commander of the Shenzhou-14 crew and will take on the mantle once again after a two-year interval. He will also become the first among China's second batch of astronauts to carry out three spaceflight missions.

Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie come from the third batch of astronauts and will embark on their first spaceflight mission. Before being selected, Chen Zhongrui was an air force pilot, while Wang Jie was an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's crewed space program, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.

The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.

Credit: CGTN

Duration: 1 minute, 23 seconds
Release Date: April 23, 2025

#NASA #Space #Science #Earth #China #中国 #LongMarchRocket #Shenzhou20 #神舟二十号 #Shenzhou20Crew #Taikonauts #ChenDong #ChenZhongrui #WangJie #Astronauts #ChinaSpaceStation #中国空间站 #TiangongSpaceStation #SpaceLaboratory #CMSA #中国载人航天工程办公室 #LongDurationMissions #HumanSpaceflight  #JiuquanSatelliteLaunchCenter #JSLC #Spaceport #STEM #Education #HD #Video