FACTBOX-Shenzhou-18 caps over two decades of Chinese human spaceflight

(Updates Factbox on Chinese crewed missions to space) BEIJING, April 24 (Reuters) – China will send three astronauts into low-Earth orbit on Thursday in the country’s 13th crewed mission to space, marking more than two decades of Chinese human spaceflight. Of the 13 crewed missions, half were visits to China’s independently built space station Tiangong, or “Celestial Palace” in Chinese. The latest Shenzhou-18 mission to the space station will be led by Ye Guangfu, 43. China launched its first uncrewed spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, in November 1999. Three more unmanned flights followed before Yang Liwei became the first Chinese national to be sent into space on Shenzhou-5. Mission Year/Month of Launch Crew Gender Shenzhou-5 2003/October Yang Liwei Male Shenzhou-6 2005/October Fei Junlong Male Nie Haisheng Male Shenzhou-7 2008/September Zhai Zhigang Male Liu Boming Male Jing Haipeng Male Shenzhou-9 2012/June Jing Haipeng Male Liu Wang Male Liu Yang Female Shenzhou-10 2013/June Nie Haisheng Male Zhang Xiaoguang Male Wang Yaping Female Shenzhou-11 2016/October Jing Haipeng Male Chen Dong Male Shenzhou-12 2021/June Nie Haisheng Male Liu Boming Male Tang Hongbo Male Shenzhou-13 2021/October Zhai Zhigang Male Wang Yaping Female Ye Guangfu Male Shenzhou-14 2022/June Chen Dong Male Liu Yang Female Cai Xuzhe Male Shenzhou-15 2022/November Fei Junlong Male Deng Qingming Male Zhang Lu Male Shenzhou-16 2023/May Jing Haipeng Male Zhu Yangzhu Male Gui Haichao Male Shenzhou-17 2023/October Tang Hongbo Male Tang Shengjie Male Jiang Xinlin Male Shenzhou-18 2024/April Ye Guangfu Male Li Cong Male Li Guangsu Male (Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sonali Paul)

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