China's new manned mission docks with country’s space station

By Anadolu staff

​​​​​​​ China's manned spaceship successfully docked Thursday with the space station, according to the country’s space agency.

The Long March-2F Y17 carrier rocket, Shenzhou-17, launched at 11.14 a.m. local time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, said state-run Xinhua News, citing China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After nearly 6.5 hours, the spaceship made a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe, according to the agency.

Three astronauts, locally known as taikonauts, Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, were on the Shenzhou-17 spaceflight mission.

Tang is leading the mission as commander. It is the sixth crewed spaceflight by China.

It will remain and work in space until April 2024.

China’s space station, Tiangong Space Station, is complete and has been operational since last December. China first established its space program in 1992.

Since its first launch of a manned space mission 20 years ago, China has successfully launched 20 taikonauts, making 32 trips into space.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid