China’s Human Space Agency (CMSA) reported on Sunday that it successfully launched another manned mission to its new space station, sending three astronauts to continue construction work for six months.
At 10:44 a.m. local time, the astronauts boarded the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft, which was launched by a Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Inner Mongolia’s Gobi Desert.
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A successful launch
The scientists will stay and work for six months in the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong Space Station before returning to Earth in December. Tiangong is a Chinese word that means “Heavenly Palace.”
Plz LOOK UP tonight!
China’s Shenzhou-14 spaceflight has been successfully launched. Wish our taikonauts, including one female, a safe journey up there.
It is indeed a national pride. Chinese people will continue to pursue China Dream along the right path we have chosen. pic.twitter.com/U4I6GIR3zx
— Zhang Jun (@ChinaAmbUN) June 5, 2022
Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe are among the crew members, and they are scheduled to dock with the space station roughly 6.5 hours after launch.
Chen, the mission commander, previously held the record for the longest stay in space by a Chinese astronaut aboard China’s Shenzhou-11 manned space mission in 2016. On the Shenzhou-9 mission in 2012, Liu became the first Chinese woman in space. This will also be Cai’s first space mission.
Pakistan also congratulated China
“We congratulate the Chinese government and people on the successful launch of Shenzhou-14, the first manned space mission in the construction phase of China’s space station.
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Best wishes to the three astronauts who will be in orbit for six months,” the ambassador tweeted.