China on its way to first crew change in space Major memorial service for gunned down American rapper Takeoff

China has launched a cargo spacecraft to the new space station. “Tianzhou 5” (Heavenly Ship) took off on Saturday with a “Long March 7-Y6” rocket from the Wenchang Spaceport on the southern Chinese island of Hainan.

The flight is intended to prepare a historic step for China’s manned space program: the first crew change in space.

Three more astronauts are expected to follow suit by the end of the month, living with their colleagues Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe at the recently completed Tiangong Space Station (Heaven’s Palace). The current crew will then return to Earth in December. The new crew, which is to start with “Shenzhou 15” (Magic Ship), will stay in the space station for about six months.

Start was “a success”

Just 15 minutes after launch, Deng Hongqin, director of the space center, reported that “Tianzhou 5” had reached orbit as planned. All systems were working normally. The start was “a success”. The 13-ton freighter will carry six tons of materials and supplies to the space station.

The flight comes just 12 days after the launch of the last module, Mengtian (Heaven’s Dream), which was successfully attached to the now T-shaped space station. It is the twelfth mission to build and supply the space station. China plans to operate the ‘Heaven Palace’ for another ten years.

If the International Space Station stops operating as planned in the next few years, China would be the only country to operate a permanent outpost in space. With the “Heaven’s Palace”, China is catching up with the great space-faring nations of the US and Russia.

Billions invested in space travel

For its ambitious goals, the People’s Republic has invested billions in the space program, which is managed by the military. China is already successfully operating a rover on Mars. The country took rocks from the moon and was the first country to land a spacecraft on the far side of the moon.

In addition to the space station, China has other ambitious goals in space. According to experts, a reusable spaceship could be used by 2025. Rock samples from the moon’s polar regions will be brought to Earth over the next five years. Plans for a research station on the moon are also being worked out with Russia.

Mars samples, Jupiter mission and own space telescope

One of the plans is to land on a nearby asteroid. China also wants to bring samples from Mars to Earth, which could happen in 2028. A mission to explore Jupiter could follow in 2029. With «Beidou», China has also set up its own navigation satellite system.

Plans for the space station also include a space telescope called “Xuntian,” which would be similar to the US Hubble telescope. It must regularly dock at the “Heaven’s Palace” to be recharged with fuel and maintained. It could be ready for launch in 2024. (sda/dpa)