A send-off ceremony for three astronauts of the Shenzhou-18 crewed space mission was held on Thursday April 25) at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

At the command of Xu Xueqiang, commander-in-chief of China's manned space programme, astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu set off at 6:10 p.m..

As of Thursday, the Shenzhou-17 crew has stayed at the orbiting Tiangong space station for nearly six months and is preparing for the arrival of the Shenzhou-18 crew.

The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft is slated to be launched at 8:59 p.m. Thursday, and the new crew will stay in orbit for six months.

STORY: See-off ceremony held for taikonauts of Shenzhou-18 mission
SHOOTING TIME: April 25, 2024
DATELINE: April 25, 2024
LENGTH: 0:00:30
LOCATION: JIUQUAN, China
CATEGORY: SCIENCE/TECHNOLOGY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the ceremony

STORYLINE:

A see-off ceremony for three taikonauts of the Shenzhou-18 crewed space mission was held on Thursday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

At the command of Xu Xueqiang, commander-in-chief of China's manned space program, taikonauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong, and Li Guangsu set off at 6:10 p.m. (Beijing Time).

As of Thursday, the Shenzhou-17 crew has stayed in the orbiting Tiangong space station for nearly six months and is preparing for the arrival of the Shenzhou-18 crew.

The Shenzhou-18 spaceship is slated to be launched at 8:59 p.m. Thursday (Beijing Time), and the new crew will stay in orbit for six months. 

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Jiuquan, China.
(XHTV)