In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Long March-2F carrier rocket carrying China's Shenzhou 14 spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, Sunday, June 5, 2022. China on Sunday launched the new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station. Credit: Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
The three-person mission was launched on Sunday to complete assembly work on the permanent space station.
During the six months they are on the Tiangong station, the crew will oversee the addition of two laboratory modules to the main living space.
They launched their spaceship from the edge of the Gobi Desert. The Long March 2F rocket is used in the space flight program. After fifteen minutes, it opened its solar panels and drew applause from controllers.
A rising level of confidence in the capabilities of the space program, which has been promoted as a sign of China's technological progress and global influence, can be seen in the live broadcast of the launch.
The three-module structure will join the existing Tianhe with Wentian and Mengtian arriving in July and October of this year. The station still has another cargo craft docked.
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, from left Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang wave before a sendoff ceremony for the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Sunday, June 5, 2022. China on Sunday launched a new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station. Credit: Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese astronaut Chen Dong, right, waves as he walks ahead of fellow astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe during a sendoff ceremony for the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Sunday, June 5, 2022. China on Sunday launched the new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station. Credit: Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, from left Chinese astronauts Cai Xuzhe, Chen Dong and Liu Yang wave before a sendoff ceremony for the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Sunday, June 5, 2022. China on Sunday launched a new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station. Credit: Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese astronaut Chen Dong, right, waves as he walks ahead of fellow astronauts Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe during a sendoff ceremony for the Shenzhou-14 crewed space mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China on Sunday, June 5, 2022. China on Sunday launched the new three-person mission to complete work on its permanent orbiting space station. Credit: Li Gang/Xinhua via AP
The new modules will provide more stability, more powerful functions, and complete equipment, according to Chen, who was a member of the mission.
A space veteran and China's first female astronauts to reach space, Liu is also a mother of two. Cai is going to space.
China is the third country after the former Soviet Union and the U.S. to have its own astronauts in space.
Last year, it placed a robot rover on Mars. There is a possibility of a crewed mission to the moon.
The United States excluded China's space program from the International Space Station because it was run by the Communist Party's military wing.
It will be the first time in the history of the station that six people will be on board at the same time.
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