Watch China launch 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station today | Space

China will launch its latest set of crewmembers to Tiangong space station today (April 25), and you can watch the action live.

The three-astronaut Shenzhou 18 mission is scheduled to lift off atop a Long March 2F rocket from China’s Jiuquan spaceport at 8:59 a.m. EDT (1259 GMT; 8:59 p.m. Beijing time) on April 25.

Watch it live here at Space.com, courtesy of Chinese broadcaster CCTV. Coverage is expected to begin around 5:45 a.m. EDT (0945 GMT).

Related: China rolls out rocket for next astronaut mission to Tiangong space station (photos)

China revealed the Shenzhou 18 astronaut roster just yesterday (April 24), as is customary; the nation generally does not identify crewmembers until a day before liftoff.

Shenzhou 18 will be the seventh crewed mission to Tiangong. It consists of 43-year-old commander Ye Guangfu, who previously flew on Shenzhou 13 for a mission that launched in 2021 and returned in 2022, as well as fighter pilots Li Cong, 34, and Li Guangsu, 36, both of whom are spaceflight rookies.

If all goes according to plan, the trio will arrive at Tiangong about seven hours after liftoff today. The outpost is already occupied by the three astronauts of the Shenzhou 17 mission, who are wrapping up their six-month orbital…

Ad Amazon : The reality of UFOs and extraterrestrials is here for those with the courage to examine it. We are not alone! We are only one of many different humanoids in a universe teeming with other intelligent life?