Three Chinese astronauts arrive at space station

The trio blasted off in a Long March-2F rocket at 0244 GMT from the Jiuquan launch center in northwestern China's Gobi desert, reported state broadcaster CCTV.

Tiangong, which means"heavenly palace", is expected to become fully operational by the end of the year. Dong, along with fellow pilots Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, will become the second crew to spend six months aboard the Tiangong after the last returned to earth in April following 183 days on the space station.

The completed station will be similar to the Soviet Mir station that orbited Earth from the 1980s until 2001.The world's second-largest economy has poured billions into its military-run space program, with hopes of having a permanently crewed space station by 2022 and eventually sending humans to the Moon.

In addition to a space station, Beijing is also planning to build a base on the Moon, and the country's National Space Administration said it aims to launch a crewed lunar mission by 2029.

Love the global sharing

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.

Three Chinese astronauts arrive at space station Tiangong | Digital TrendsThree Chinese astronauts -- Chen Dong, Liu Yang, and Cai Xuzhe -- have arrived at China's new space station, which is currently under construction. And how dafuq is this a “digital trend”?
Source: DigitalTrends - 🏆 95. / 65 Read more »

Rivals.com - Three-Point Stance: Austin Novosad, Texas edge rushers, Louisville
Source: Rivals - 🏆 536. / 51 Read more »

Sudan protesters mark three years since bloody crackdownThousands of protesters took to the streets in capital Khartoum and other cities to commemorate the 128 people who medics say were killed in the country's bloody crackdown.
Source: trtworld - 🏆 101. / 63 Read more »

Kate Hudson Posts Rare Photo of All Three Kids: ‘Fly Kiddos Fly!’Kate Hudson's son, Ryder, reached another major milestone and his mom posted the most heartwarming tribute to honor his big day.
Source: SheKnows - 🏆 558. / 51 Read more »

Kate Middleton’s Trick for Keeping Her Three Kids Calm During Trooping the ColourThe Cambridge kids, save for a minor squabble, were incredibly well-behaved during the carriage procession.
Source: marieclaire - 🏆 102. / 63 Read more »

Three inmates ‘considered armed and dangerous’ escape from Missouri jailThree inmates “considered armed and dangerous” have escaped from a Missouri county jail, authorities said Friday.
Source: nypost - 🏆 91. / 67 Read more »