JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China (AP) — China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station on Thursday as part of its ambitious program that aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China atop a Long March 2-F rocket at 8:59 p.m. (1259 GMT).
The spacecraft’s three-member crew will relieve the Shenzhou-17 team, which has been staffing China’s Tiangong space station since last October.
The China Manned Space Agency, or CMSA, held a send-off ceremony — complete with flag-waving children and patriotic music — for the Shenzhou-18 crew earlier on Thursday, as the three astronauts prepared to enter the spacecraft.
The trio is made of Commander Ye Guangfu, 43, a veteran astronaut who took part in the Shenzhou-13 mission in 2021, and fighter pilots Li Cong, 34, and Li Guangsu, 36, who are spaceflight rookies.
Related articles:
Related suggestion:
Chinese, Ethiopian education institutions agree to promote skills development in technologyRosario and Pinto homer off Snell in his return to Tropicana Field, Rays beat Giants 9Ancient pottery, kilns and wells unearthed in north China ruinsPic story: inheritor of Duan inkstone making craftsDiscover beauty of black pottery in SW China's YunnanTomas Hertl's powerWorld Heritage in China: Archaeological Ruins of Liangzhu CityTantalize your taste buds with Belt and Road cuisines!Tomas Hertl's powerConcert showcases Chinese traditional music in New Zealand
0.2288s , 6502.3671875 kb
Copyright © 2024 Powered by China launches 3 ,Culture Chronicles news portal