Launch in China

Three astronauts on their way to the “Tiangong” space station

The spaceship "Shenzhou 18" with three men on board lifted off from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert.(Bild: AFP/Greg Baker)

China sent its next crew of astronauts into space on Thursday to the "Tiangong" (Heavenly Palace) space station. The spaceship "Shenzhou 18" with three men on board lifted off late in the evening (local time) from the Jiuquan spaceport in the Gobi Desert in the northwest of the People's Republic.

Commander Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, who are trained pilots of the People's Liberation Army, are to replace the current crew of the "Tiangong" after around six months in space. In the afternoon, they were officially sent on their mission to the cheers of numerous people, as was shown in a state television broadcast. Shenzhou" was propelled by a "Long March 2F" carrier rocket.

New crew to stay until October
The crew of the "Shenzhou 17" will then return to Earth at the beginning of next week. During their stay until around October, the new crew will carry out various scientific experiments in orbit, including experiments with different fish to find out more about breeding vertebrates in space. Several spacewalks are also on the agenda, according to the Chinese manned space agency.

(Bild: AFP/Greg Baker)

Beijing has been investing a lot of money in its space program for years. Like the USA, Japan and India, the People's Republic has been setting its sights on the moon for some time now. China wants to send another unmanned probe to the Earth's satellite this spring with "Chang'e 6" (the name of a moon goddess).

In preparation for the mission, the People's Republic has already launched a communications satellite into lunar orbit. This is necessary because direct reception to the control center on Earth is not possible on the far side of the moon, where the probe is to land.

Manned station on the moon planned 
The People's Republic, ruled by the Communist Party, also wants to send a manned mission to the moon by 2030. The Earth's satellite has also become interesting again for many nations because important raw materials are believed to be there.