Agency spokesperson Lin Xiqiang said Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Song Lingdong, and Wang Haoze will carry out the mission, with Cai in command. Cai, a veteran astronaut, completed the Shenzhou-14 space mission in 2022. Song and Wang are going into space for the first time.

After entering orbit, Shenzhou-19 will perform a fast 6.5-hour automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station core module Tianhe, forming a combination of three modules and three spacecraft, Lin said.

“During the mission, the Shenzhou-19 astronauts will receive the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-20 crewed spacecraft and are scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in late April or early May next year,” Lin gave more details.

After completing an in-orbit handover with the incoming Shenzhou-19 crew, the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-18 crew will return to Earth on November 4. The Shenzhou-19 astronauts will carry out 86 space science experiments.