CNN-China launched (发射) another manned mission (载人任务) to its new space station on Sunday, sending three astronauts (宇航员) who will continue space work for six months.
The astronauts lifted off on the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft at 10:44 a. m. , June 5th, 2022, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, Inner Mongolia.
The crew includes Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe. Chen was aboard China's Shenzhou-11 manned space mission in 2016 and once held the record for longest stay in space bya Chinese astronaut. Liu became the first ever Chinese woman in space in 2012 on the Shenzhou-9 mission. And this will be Cai's first mission in space. The team will live and work at the Tiangong Space Station's Tianhe core module (核心仓) for six months before returning to Earth. It marks a new step in China's space program.
Six months is the standard mission duration (标准任务期限) for many countries—but it is an important chance for Chinese astronauts to be accustomed to a long-term stay in space and help prepare future astronauts to do the same.
Six space missions have been scheduled (规划) before the end of the year, including another manned mission, two laboratory modules and two cargo missions.
The team aboard Shenzhou-14 will help with the docking, setting up and testing of the two laboratory modules Wentian and Mengtian, which are ready to launch in July and October this year.
