Today, China will embark on its latest astronaut mission, Shenzhou 18, with three crewmembers heading to the Tiangong space station. The launch is scheduled for 8:59 a.m. EDT (1259 GMT; 8:59 p.m. Beijing time) on April 25 from China’s Jiuquan spaceport atop a Long March 2F rocket. Witness the historic event live on Space.com, courtesy of Chinese broadcaster CCTV, with coverage beginning at approximately 5:45 a.m. EDT (0945 GMT).
The Shenzhou 18 crew, consisting of commander Ye Guangfu, fellow astronaut Li Cong, and spaceflight rookie Li Guangsu, will join the three astronauts currently residing on Tiangong during the Shenzhou 17 mission, who are nearing the end of their six-month stay.