China launched aspacecraft on Thursday, June 17, 2021, carrying three astronauts to part of a space station still under construction for the longest stay in low Earth orbit by any Chinese national.
A Long March 2F rocket transporting the Shenzhou-12, or Divine Vessel , bound for the space station module Tianhe blasted off at 9:22 a.m. Beijing time (0122 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province.
The launch time saw bright blue skies with near perfect visibility at the launch center on the edge of the Gobi Desert.
The two veteran astronauts and a newcomer making his first space flight are heading to the Tianhe station for a three-month stay in its main living compartment for three months while they carry out experiments, test equipment, conduct maintenance and prepare the station for receiving two additional modules next year.
