China sent three astronauts on Wednesday to its permanently inhabited space station, where they will conduct dozens of scientific experiments, some related to the construction of human habitats.
The spacecraft Shenzhou-19 and its three crew lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 4:27 a.m. (2027 GMT), according to state media.
The crew, led by 48-year-old Cai Yuzhe along with 34-year-olds Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze, reached the space station after a six-hour journey after launching into space aboard the Shenzhou-19 spacecraft, according to Chinese media.
Nuclear rocket scientist Wang Haoze has made history by becoming China's first female civilian astronaut.
"During the Shenzhou-19 flight ... 86 space sci-tech experiments will be carried out in the fields of space life sciences, microgravity physics, materials, medicine, new technologies,"
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Beijing has described the launch of Shenzhou 19 as a "complete success." This mission is part of China's ambitious goal of 100 launches in a record year of space exploration, as the country seeks to surpass its competitor, the United States.
At the Tiangong space station, the Shenzhou 19 crew joined three astronauts from the Shenzhou 18 mission, who are set to return to Earth on November 4.
Two years ago, President Xi Jinping emphasized China’s ambition by stating,
"to explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry, and build China into a space power is our eternal dream.”
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