China unveils Shenzhou-13 crew for 6-month space station mission(1/4)

This photo shows Chinese astronauts Zhai Zhigang (C), Wang Yaping (R) and Ye Guangfu who will carry out the Shenzhou-13 spaceflight mission. Zhai will be the commander, announced the China Manned Space Agency at a press conference on Thursday. (Photo provided to China News Service by China Manned Space Agency)

The Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship will be launched at 12:23 a.m. Saturday (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, announced the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Thursday.

The astronauts will stay in space for about six months, the longest ever duration for the Chinese astronauts.

This photo shows Chinese astronaut Zhai Zhigang, one of the three astronauts of Shenzhou-13 crew. Zhai, who performed China's first spacewalk in the Shenzhou-7 mission in 2008, will be the commander of the mission. (Photo provided to China News Service by China Manned Space Agency)

This photo shows Chinese astronaut Wang Yaping, one of the three astronauts of Shenzhou-13 crew. Wang, who attended the Shenzhou-10 mission in 2013, will be the first Chinese female astronaut to visit China's space station and carry out extravehicular activities. (Photo provided to China News Service by China Manned Space Agency)

This photo shows Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu, one of the three astronauts of Shenzhou-13 crew. Ye is a newcomer to space. He was selected to join the second batch of Chinese astronauts in 2010 and made his first public appearance after completing an European Space Agency's (ESA) underground training mission in 2016. (Photo provided to China News Service by China Manned Space Agency)