BEIJING, Oct. 20 (China Space News) -- The China Manned Space Agency announced new leaders of China's Manned Space Engineering Project at a press conference on Tuesday.

Zhou Jianping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, has been appointed the chief designer of China's manned space program, and Gu Yidong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has been appointed the chief space scientist of the program, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

Wang Zhonggui, Yang Liwei, Chen Shanguang, Zhou Weifei, Liu Jin, Deng Yibing, and Tang Yihua and Zhang Bonan from CASC were hired as deputy chief designers of China's manned space exploration.

China is preparing for the upcoming high-density space missions to construct China's space station, and the Long March-5B carrier rocket, set to launch capsules for the space station, is expected to make its maiden flight in 2020. China aims to complete the construction of the space station around 2022.