China launches 3
Time:2024-04-26 06:34:53 Source:opinionsViews(143)
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.
Previous:Windmill sails at Moulin Rouge have collapsed
Next:Naomi Watts, 55, proves she's in the best shape of her life as she flexes her eye
You may also like
- Rosie Huntington
- Feature: Smart at
- Marriages Fall in 2021 Leading to Lower Birth Rates in China, Despite Declining Divorce Rate
- China Rolls out Five
- Kentucky appeals court denies Bob Baffert
- Language Service Added to China's Emergency Response
- China Reduces Personal Income Tax for Parents of Children under 3
- China to Build 2,000 Fitness Facilities by 2025
- Leverkusen defender Jonathan Tah looks to finish historic season unbeaten and with more trophies