China says launch of crew to space station a 'success'

JIUQUAN: A Chinese space ship with a three-person crew docked with its orbiting space station Tuesday. The team of two men and one woman will replace the astronauts who have lived on Tiangong space station for the last six months. They are expected to stay until April or May of next year.

The new mission commander, Cai Xuzhe, went to space in the 2022 Shenzhou-14 mission, while Song Lingdong and Wang Haoze are first-time space travellers. Song and Wang were born in the 1990s and are graduates of the third wave of Chinese astronaut recruitment, having undergone years of rigorous training.

Early Wednesday morning, China declared the launch and entry into outerspace a "complete success." The crew will perform spacewalks, install equipment to protect the station from debris and conduct dozens of experiments. agencies