Shenzhou XVII crew ready for lift off

A see-off ceremony for three Chinese astronauts of the Shenzhou XVII crewed space mission is held at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China, Oct. 26, 2023. (Photo by Zhao Lei/chinadaily.com.cn)

The three astronauts in the Shenzhou XVII mission, China's 12th manned spaceflight, headed to the launch tower after a brief see-off ceremony early on Thursday morning in front of their residential building at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gobi Desert.

All in spacesuits, mission commander Senior Colonel Tang Hongbo, Lieutenant Colonel Tang Shengjie and Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Xinlin reported to General Xu Xueqiang, commander-in-chief of the country's manned space program, that they are ready for the coming mission and asked for permission to embark on the flight.

Xu gave his permission before the crew saluted him and all participants to the event. Then the astronauts boarded their coach to the launch tower.

Many workers and residents at the Jiuquan center stood along the road and hailed the astronauts as their vehicle passed them.

Carrying the Shenzhou XVII crew, a Long March 2F carrier rocket is scheduled to lift off at 11:14 am.

The Shenzhou XVII team is expected to arrive at the Tiangong space station on Thursday afternoon to meet their peers in the Shenzhou XVI flight who have been in orbit for nearly five months.

After spending about four days together to complete handover work, Tang Hongbo and his teammates will take over Tiangong and the Shenzhou XVI crew will fly back to Earth.

The Shenzhou XVII astronauts are scheduled to stay inside Tiangong for around six months and return to Earth around April.