3 Chinese astronauts will leave for Tiangong space station, will achieve this target by 2030

The Chinese space agency is preparing to send the Shenzhou-18 crew into space on Thursday. The agency aims to send people to the Moon by 2030. The new group of astronauts includes 43-year-old Commander Ye Guangfu, 34-year-old Li Kang and 36-year-old Li Guangsu.

The spacecraft carrying passengers is ready to lift off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 8:59 pm. They will replace the Shenzhou-17 team, which has been stationed at China's Tiangong Space Station since October last year. The new crew will spend about six months on the space station.

Will install debris protection device on space station

It will conduct scientific testing as well as install debris protection equipment on the space station. Lin Jiqiang, deputy director of Chinese investigative agency CMSA, said China is working toward eventually allowing foreign astronauts and space tourists access to its space station. We certainly hope to see astronauts from different countries on China's space station.

China launched its first manned space mission in 2003, becoming the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to send a person into space using its own resources.