JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China — In another step toward enhancing its space capabilities, China launched three astronauts to the Chinese Space Station aboard the Shenzhou-18 spacecraft on Thursday evening. The mission, part of China’s rapidly advancing space program, aims to reinforce its position in the global space race with ambitious plans including lunar expeditions.
The crew, consisting of Commander Ye Guangfu and astronauts Li Cong and Li Guangsu, both former fighter pilots born in the 1980s, lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center located in the Gobi Desert at precisely 8:59 p.m. local time Thursday. Their destination is China’s self-built Tiangong space station, where they will undertake a six-month mission filled with over 90 scientific experiments.
“I am thoroughly looking forward to the coming half-year of life in space. Embarking on this space expedition for the motherland is my greatest happiness,” stated Li Guangsu in a press briefing prior to the launch.
This mission is a critical component of China’s broader strategy to establish a strong foothold in space, which includes eventual crewed missions to the moon. The Shenzhou-18 mission follows the arrival of the Shenzhou-17 crew last October, demonstrating China’s capability for sustained human presence in orbit.
The timing of the launch coincides with heightened global diplomatic activity, occurring amidst U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to China aimed at addressing multiple geopolitical issues, including the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. However, space remains a significant arena of competition, especially given recent concerns voiced by U.S. officials over China’s expanding military capabilities in space.
General Stephen Whiting, Commander of U.S. Space Command, expressed concerns just a day before the launch: “China has tripled its number of intelligence gathering satellites over the past six years, helping it improve the effectiveness of its military on Earth,” he reported, highlighting the strategic implications of China’s advances in space technology.
Despite restrictions such as the U.S. law that prohibits NASA from using government funds to engage with China’s space program, China’s space efforts have surged forward. Excluded from the International Space Station, China developed its own orbital platform, which now hosts international scientific collaborations and will soon open up to foreign astronauts and space tourists.
China’s first astronaut, Yang Liwei, emphasized the potential for cooperation, “China has always wanted to cooperate with the United States in space exploration. International cooperation is a major trend… it’s a common need of humanity.”
Amid these developments, China’s secretive approach to its space endeavors was evident during a tightly controlled press visit to the launch center, underscoring the ongoing tension between openness and operational security.
China’s ambitious timeline includes not only repeated manned missions to its space station but also plans for lunar and Martian expeditions. By 2030, China aims to bring samples back from Mars and establish a human presence on the moon, challenging the U.S.’s historical dominance in space exploration.
As the U.S. prepares to return astronauts to the moon by 2025 with the support of private sector entities like SpaceX and Blue Origin, the global space exploration landscape continues to evolve, marked by a blend of cooperation and competition.
