Shenzhou XVIII's post-1980 astronauts set for launch

Lin, the China Manned Space Agency deputy director, said the main objectives set for the mission include the handover of the space station from the Shenzhou XVII crew and carrying out a series of experiments and missions during the new crew's six-month stay.

According to the plan, the Shenzhou XVIII crew members will return to the Dongfeng landing site in late October.

During the mission, the country's first in-orbit aquatic ecological research project will be carried out. Using goldfish algae and zebrafish to establish a self-cycling aquatic ecosystem in orbit, the aim of the project is to make a breakthrough in the cultivation of vertebrates in space, Lin said.

Cang Huaixing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization, said the experiment could help people build aquatic ecosystems and food-producing systems in space in the future.

Besides continuing to recruit and train Chinese astronauts for upcoming space and lunar missions, China will also promote the participation of foreign astronauts and space tourists in flights to the space station, Lin said, adding that China is confident that its space station will welcome more new members from different backgrounds in the near future.

Lin also said that China's crewed lunar exploration program is progressing smoothly, with the development of major component systems, such as the Long March 10 carrier rocket, the crewed spacecraft Mengzhou, the lunar lander Lanyue and the lunar landing suit, having been completed, with prototype production and tests being carried out.

In 2023, crewed lunar exploration was approved by the central government for launch and implementation, with the aim of landing Chinese on the moon by 2030.

The plan is to launch two carrier rockets to send a crewed spacecraft and a lunar lander into lunar orbit. The spacecraft and lunar lander will dock with each other, after which the astronauts will enter the lander, Lin said.