Beijing, Oct. 31, (dpa/GNA) - China has sent the third and, for the time being, last module into space for its growing “Tiangong” (Heavenly Palace) space station.
Chinese state television showed the “Mengtian” module lifting off from a spaceport on the island of Hainan on Monday, carried into orbit by a Long March 5B rocket.
“Mengtian” is to dock with the core module, which was launched into space last year.
Three taikonauts are currently working and living at the station.
Another manned flight is planned for later this year. Then six astronauts will temporarily stay in the new space station and get it ready for regular operations.
The “Tiangong” space station underpins China’s ambitions to become a space power and to catch up with the major space nations, the United States and Russia.
GNA