China's Shenzhou-13 spacecraft carrying three Chinese astronauts has docked at its space station, starting a six-month stay as the country moves toward completing the new orbiting outpost. It's the second crew to move into the six-month-old space station.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the crewed spaceship Shenzhou-13, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, is launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert, Oct. 16, 2021.
The three astronauts entered the Tianhe space station core module at about 10 a.m., the China Manned Space Agency said. They were seen off by a military band and supporters singing “Ode to the Motherland,” underscoring the weight of national pride invested in the space program, which has advanced rapidly in recent years.
When completed with the addition of two more sections — named Mengtian and Wentian — the station will weigh about 66 tons, much smaller than the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 450 tons. Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said sending humans into space was a “common cause of mankind.” China would “continue to extend the depth and breadth of international cooperation and exchanges” in crewed spaceflight and “make positive contributions to the exploration of the mysteries of the universe,” he said.
China has launched seven crewed missions with a total of 14 astronauts aboard — two have flown twice — since 2003, when it became only the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to put a person in space on its own.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China launches 6-month crewed mission as it cements position as global space powerChina launched a three-person crew into space in the early hours of Saturday -- a major step for the country's young space program, rapidly becoming one of the world's most advanced.
Read more »
China launches second crewed mission to build space stationChina on Saturday launched a rocket carrying three astronauts, including one woman, to the core module of a future space station where they will live and work for six months, the longest-ever duration in orbit for Chinese astronauts.
Read more »
EU, China agree to hold summit, Michel says after Xi callEuropean Council President Charles Michel said on Friday after a call with Chinese President Xi Jinping that the European Union and China would hold a summit soon.
Read more »
Here's how much 10 big banks have cut their China growth forecastsMajor investment banks cut their predictions for China's 2021 GDP, warning that power cuts and a slump in the property market may drag down growth.
Read more »
Latin America could become an alternative to ChinaAfter a bad decade and a miserable pandemic, the region’s economies have a chance to make progress
Read more »