China Launches Shenzhou-18 to Tiangong Station, Advancing Lunar Exploration Efforts

On November 23rd, China successfully launched the rocket Shenzhou-18, carrying a crew of three astronauts to the Tiangong station in Yichang. The country’s space program is expected to reach the Moon by 2030.

The shuttle Grand March-2F, carrying mission commander Ye Guangfu and his companions Li Cong and Li Guangsu, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. Ye Guangfu is a veteran taikonaut and both Li Cong and Li Guangsu are former army fighter pilots participating in their first space mission.

Upon arrival at the station, the new crew will join astronauts from the Shenzhou-17 mission who have been conducting research and experiments. They will perform scientific experiments, spacewalks, and maintenance tasks on the station, including building a self-circulating aquatic ecosystem and cultivating vertebrates in orbit.

In addition to its space station activities, China has completed key components for its manned lunar program, including the spacecraft and lunar landing module. The country plans to launch two rockets to send astronauts and the lunar module separately to the Moon as part of this project.

China’s space station was built after being excluded from the International Space Station (ISS), but now it is focusing on its own lunar exploration program. In comparison, America is working on its Artemis III mission to return astronauts to the Moon with a planned launch date of September 2026. Both countries are advancing their space programs with significant progress made by China in its space station efforts while America is focused on returning astronauts to