Space crew ready for Shenzhou XX mission

Senior Colonel Chen Dong, 46, a native of Henan province, joined the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in August 1997. He served as a squadron commander at a fighter jet regiment until May 2010 when he was selected by the PLA Astronaut Division as one of its second-generation astronauts.

In October 2016, Chen participated in the 33-day Shenzhou XI mission, and in June 2022, he served as the crew commander during the six-month Shenzhou XIV mission. Chen is a recipient of the honorary title "Heroic Astronaut" and two Space Service Medals.

Currently, he is the commander of the PLA Astronaut Division and a first-grade astronaut. He is Shenzhou XX's mission commander.

Colonel Chen Zhongrui, 40, also a native of Henan province, enlisted in the PLA Air Force in September 2003. He was selected as one of the nation's third-generation astronauts in September 2020 after several years at a flight training brigade.

He currently serves as the deputy commander of the PLA Astronaut Division and a fourth-grade astronaut.

Colonel Wang Jie, 35, a native of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, was chosen into the third-generation group of astronauts in September 2020 and joined the PLA Astronaut Division in January 2021.

Prior to his military recruitment, he worked as an engineer at the China Academy of Space Technology of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

Wang holds a doctoral degree from Beihang University in Beijing and currently serves as a fourth-grade astronaut.