The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Wednesday disclosed the main tasks of the Shenzhou-20 manned spaceflight mission.
The Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 17:17 Thursday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, according to the CMSA.
Lin Xiqiang, spokesman of the agency, provided the media with an overview of the main tasks of the mission.
"This is the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station and the 35th flight mission of China's manned space program. The main goals of the mission are to complete an in-orbit crew handover with the Shenzhou-19 crew, reside on the space station for about six months, conduct space science and application experiments, perform extravehicular activities (EVAs), manage cargo entry and exit, install space debris protection devices, install and retrieve extravehicular payloads and equipment, conduct science popularization education and public welfare activities, and carry out payload experiment of the space station. These efforts aim to continuously leverage the comprehensive application benefits of the space station," said Lin.
Chinese astronauts Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie will carry out the Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceflight mission, with Chen Dong acting as commander, according to the CMSA.
China reveals main tasks of Shenzhou-20 manned space mission
China reveals main tasks of Shenzhou-20 manned space mission
The new China-Mongolia cross-border railway is expected to serve as a new bridge for boosting connectivity between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in Beijing on Thursday.
China and Mongolia held a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday to mark the official launch of construction on the Gantsmod–Gashuunsukhait rail project, which will be the second cross-border rail link between the two countries.
Lin said at a regular press briefing that the railway would inject new momentum into the development of China-Mongolia bilateral relations.
"On May 14, China and Mongolia held a ceremony to mark the official groundbreaking of the Gantsmod-Gashuunsukhait cross-border railway, which is the second cross-border railway between the two countries. Expanding cooperation in key areas such as economy and trade, energy, mining and connectivity is an important common understanding between President Xi Jinping and Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh. In February this year, Premier Li Qiang and Mongolian Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene jointly witnessed the exhibiting of the cooperation agreement on the Gantsmod-Gashuunsukhait railway and coal trade," said Lin.
"The construction of this cross-border railway is not only a concrete step of implementing the important common understanding between the presidents of the two countries, but also an important action to synergize the Belt and Road Initiative and Mongolia's Steppe Road Program. We hope this railway will serve as a new bridge for China-Mongolia connectivity, fostering deeper development integration, promoting industrial synergy, and expanding visits and exchanges, thereby injecting new impetus in to the building of a China-Mongolia community with a shared future," he said.
New cross-border railway to enhance connectivity between China, Mongolia: FM spokesman
