Nation's Next Crewed Space Mission Set For June

A space agency official said on Sunday that China would launch three more astronauts to its newest space station in June after a crewed mission returned this weekend following a six-month stay in orbit.

The crew of Shenzhou 14 will spend six months on the Tiangong space station to add two modules to it, Hao Chun, who is director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, told a news conference.

China launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, landed robot rovers on the moon in 2013, and on Mars last year. Officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.

The core module of the Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, was launched in April last year. Plans call for completing construction this year.

The Wentian module will be launched in July and the Mengtian module in October, Hao said.

On Saturday, the crew of Shenzhou 13 landed in the Gobi desert, in the northern region of Inner Mongolia.

During the mission, astronaut Wang Yaping carried out the first spacewalk by a Chinese woman. Wang, commander Zhai Zhigang and crewmate Ye Guangfu also beamed back physics lessons for high school students.

China is excluded from the International Space Station due to a US ban. Tiangong is the country’s third space station following predecessors launched in 2011 and 2016. (AP)