China to launch Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship on May 30

The Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 9:31 a.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, announced the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Monday.

The spaceship will carry three astronauts -- Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao -- to carry out the Shenzhou-16 spaceflight mission. Jing will be the commander, said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the CMSA, at a press conference.

Shenzhou-16 is the second flight mission of China's manned space program this year, and the first crewed mission after China's space station entered the application and development stage.

The crew will stay in orbit for about five months.

The launch will use a Long March-2F carrier rocket, which will be filled with propellant soon, Lin said.