China Launches Three-Man Crew to Tiangong Space Station as Part of Growing Space Program

On Tuesday evening (U.S. time), China launched a new three-man crew to the Tiangong space station to replace three fellow “taikonauts” who had been in space for six months. This launch is part of China’s burgeoning space program, which plans to place astronauts on the moon before 2030 and expand the country’s orbiting space station.

The Shenzhou-16 crew, commanded by veteran Jing Haipeng, 56, and consisting of Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, the first non-military taikonaut, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center atop a Long March 2F rocket at 9:31 p.m. EDT (9:31 a.m. Tuesday local time). The flight to the Tiangong space station is expected to take six hours.

The launch of the Shenzhou-16 crew is part of a larger rivalry between China and the U.S. for reaching new milestones in outer space, reflecting their competition for influence on global events. This has conjured up memories of the space race between the U.S. and the former Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s. However, American spending, supply chains and capabilities are believed to give it a significant edge over China, at least for the present.

China’s space program has made significant progress in recent years, and the launch of the Shenzhou-16 crew is a testament to the country’s commitment to space exploration. With the goal of placing astronauts on the moon before 2030, China is sure to continue making strides in the space race.