The China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft with three astronauts to the national orbital station, Tass informs.
China launches Shenzhou-13 spacecraft with three astronauts to national space station
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 16, ARTSAKHPRESS: The spacecraft was launched atop a Changzheng (Long March) 2F carrier rocket from the Jiuquan launch center in the country's north at 00:23 a.m. Saturday local time (7:25 p.m. Moscow time).
The current manned launch is the second this year. The astronauts will stay in orbit during six months or twice as long as the previous time.
On September 20, China launched the Tianzhou-3 cargo spacecraft to deliver food, propellant, spacesuits for spacewalks and other materials for the crew of the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship.
Overall, the assembly of all of the space station’s systems will require about twelve months and will be completed in 2022. China’s space station will have a mass of over 90 tonnes and accommodate three astronauts and up to six people upon a crew change. The space station will have a service life of about ten years.
After the basic elements of the Chinese space station are formed, China will orbit the Xuntian autonomous module with an optical telescope. Its mirror will have a diameter of two meters. The module will be furnished with its own thrusters and is expected to dock to the space station intermittently for repairs, refueling and equipment maintenance.
