China has launched the Shenzhou-16 mission of three astronauts to its space station, Tiangong.
They blasted-off with a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre, northwest China, on 30 May, 2023.
The crew – Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao – takes over from the crew of Shenzhou-15 who have been aboard Tiangong space station since November, 2022.
Gui, is a professor in Beihang University and is the first Chinese civilian to be on a spaceflight as all other astronauts are members of China’s People’s Liberation Army.
Shenzhou-16 astronauts will stay for five months in Tiangong and will conduct several scientific research and experiments.
