She and she will remain in space for six months, China’s record. Three astronauts, including a woman, set out for the Chinese space station from Friday, October 15 to Saturday, October 16. According to footage broadcast live on public television CCTV, their ShenShow-13 spacecraft was propelled by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan launch pad in the Gobi Desert.

At an altitude of about 350-400 km, the three astronauts will live in Tianhe (“Celestial Harmony”), and the only module in the orbit of the three will eventually become the space station. For six months, they will have to continue building the station, inspecting various equipment and conducting scientific experiments, especially providing valuable information on how their body adapts to this long stay. They will also perform two or three space walks.

Shenzhou-12, the astronauts of the last mission, will double the duration record of the Chinese manned mission established in September. He later lived in Tianhe for three months. This will make extended stay possible “Experience in long-term missions”, Explains Professor Eric Seedhouse, who specializes in aerospace at the University of Aeronautics Embry-Riddle in the United States. “The main difficulty for astronauts is maintaining their muscle mass and reducing their bone loss.” In a weightless atmosphere that weakens living things, he says.