Beijing, May 30: China on Tuesday launched the Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship, sending three astronauts to its Tiangong space station for a five-month mission.

The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 9.31 a.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). NVS-01: Countdown for Launch of ‘Indian GPS’ Satellite Begins, Says ISRO Official.

About 10 minutes after the launch, Shenzhou-16 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members are in good shape, and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA declared, reports Xinhua news agency.

Shenzhou-16 Spaceship Launched Video:

After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-16 spaceship will make a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the space station combination. The Shenzhou-16 crew will rotate with the Shenzhou-15 crew in orbit.

The Shenzhou-16 astronauts will conduct large-scale in-orbit tests and experiments in various fields as planned. Nuri Launch Postponed: South Korea Delays Launch of Its Space Rocket Over Technical Glitch.

They are expected to make high-level scientific achievements in studying novel quantum phenomena, high-precision space-time-frequency systems, the verification of general relativity, and the origin of life.

The crew, consisting of Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, will witness the dockings of the Tianzhou-5 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-17 manned spaceship, as well as the departures of the Shenzhou-15 manned spaceship and Tianzhou-5.

It is the first crewed mission for the application and development stage of China's space station and the 29th flight mission since the country's manned space program was approved and initiated.

The launch also marks the 475th flight mission of the Long March carrier rocket series. Arabsat Launches BADR-8 Satellite Into Orbit From Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The space station combination was in orbit for the rendezvous and docking. It was in good working condition and ready for the rendezvous-and-docking of Shenzhou-16 and the entering of its crew.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 30, 2023 12:07 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).