China has scheduled the launch of its Shenzhou-20 mission, which will transport three astronauts to the Chinese space station, for Thursday (April 24, 2025) at 5.17 p.m. local time (IST 2:47 p.m.), as reported by state media on Wednesday (April 23, 2025).
The primary objective of the mission is to complete the in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-19 crew, who are set to return to the Dongfeng landing site on April 29, officials announced during a press conference aired on CCTV.
The Shenzhou-20 spaceflight will carry astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui, and Wang Jie, according to CCTV.
They will be responsible for conducting space science and application experiments, installing a space debris protection device, as well as extravehicular payload and equipment, and carrying out recovery tasks.
The mission will also involve the transportation of zebrafish, planarians, and streptomyces as research subjects to facilitate three life science experiments at the space station.
Published – April 23, 2025 08:55 am IST
