Factbox-Shenzhou-18 caps over two decades of Chinese human spaceflight

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will send three astronauts into low-Earth orbit on Thursday in the country's 13th crewed mission to space, marking more than two decades of Chinese human spaceflight.

Of the 13 crewed missions, half were visits to China's independently built space station Tiangong, or "Celestial Palace" in Chinese.

The latest Shenzhou-18 mission to the space station will be led by Ye Guangfu, 43.

China launched its first uncrewed spacecraft, Shenzhou-1, in November 1999. Three more unmanned flights followed before Yang Liwei became the first Chinese national to be sent into space on Shenzhou-5.

Mission Year/Month of Launch Crew Gender

Shenzhou-5 2003/October Yang Liwei Male

Shenzhou-6 2005/October Fei Junlong Male

Nie Haisheng Male

Shenzhou-7 2008/September Zhai Zhigang Male

Liu Boming Male

Jing Haipeng Male

Shenzhou-9 2012/June Jing Haipeng Male

Liu Wang Male

Liu Yang Female

Shenzhou-10 2013/June Nie Haisheng Male

Zhang Xiaoguang Male

Wang Yaping Female

Shenzhou-11 2016/October Jing Haipeng Male

Chen Dong Male

Shenzhou-12 2021/June Nie Haisheng Male

Liu Boming Male

Tang Hongbo Male

Shenzhou-13 2021/October Zhai Zhigang Male

Wang Yaping Female

Ye Guangfu Male

Shenzhou-14 2022/June Chen Dong Male

Liu Yang Female

Cai Xuzhe Male

Shenzhou-15 2022/November Fei Junlong Male

Deng Qingming Male

Zhang Lu Male

Shenzhou-16 2023/May Jing Haipeng Male

Zhu Yangzhu Male

Gui Haichao Male

Shenzhou-17 2023/October Tang Hongbo Male

Tang Shengjie Male

Jiang Xinlin Male

Shenzhou-18 2024/April Ye Guangfu Male

Li Cong Male

Li Guangsu Male

(Reporting by Albee Zhang and Ryan Woo; Editing by Sonali Paul)