China has successfully launched its youngest crew into space as part of its plans for a moon mission in 2030. The Shenzhou 17 spacecraft, carrying astronauts Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie, and Jiang Xinlin, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. These astronauts will replace the current crew on the Tiangong space station, who have been there for three months. The average age of the new crew is 38, according to state media China Daily. Beijing aims to send a manned mission to the moon and establish a base on its surface. Lin Xiqiang, spokesperson and deputy director general of the China Manned Space Agency, expressed confidence that the goal of landing Chinese people on the moon by 2030 will be achieved as planned. During their mission, the astronauts will conduct experiments in space medicine and technology, as well as assist with equipment installation and maintenance. China also announced plans to send a new telescope, called Xuntian, to co-orbit with the Tiangong station. Bill Nelson, the administrator of NASA, has previously raised concerns about China’s ambitions in the space race and its potential territorial claims on the moon. In May, a Chinese spacecraft completed a nearly year-long orbit and successfully returned to Earth, though details about its purpose and technologies tested were not disclosed.
