Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (L) and Chen Dong meet the media at a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Oct. 16, 2016. The two male astronauts will carry out the Shenzhou-11 mission. The Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft will be launched at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 17, 2016 Beijing Time (2330 GMT Oct. 16). (Xinhua/Li Gang)
Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong will carry out the Shenzhou-11 mission, a spokesperson said Sunday.
The 50-year-old Jing will be commander of the mission, Wu Ping, deputy director of China's manned space engineering office, told a press conference.
The two male astronauts will board the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft early Monday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, Wu said.
The spacecraft will dock with orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 within two days and the astronauts will stay in the space lab for 30 days before returning to Earth, the spokesperson said.
It will be Jing's third spaceflight following his Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008 and Shenzhou-9 mission in 2012.
With a safe flight record of 1,500 hours as an air force pilot, Chen became China's second group of astronauts in May 2010, and was selected as a crew member of the Shenzhou-11 mission in June 2016, Wu said.
Born in central China's Henan Province in 1978, it is the first time for Chen to carry out such a mission as a crew member of China's manned spacecraft.
