China Successfully Launches 3 Taikonauts to Tiangong Space Station

Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-14 delivered three astronauts (or taikonauts) to the Tianhe core module of the Tiangong National Space Station for a six-month mission, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday, June 5. The spacecraft was launched into orbit by a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

Shenzhou-14 is the third crewed mission of China to the space station since the launch of the Tianhe module in April 2021. The spacecraft delivered the crew to the low Earth orbit, where the Chinese space station is located.

The Shenzhou-14 crew consists of three people: Chen Dong, Cai Xuzhe, and Liu Yang, who in 2012 became the first Chinese woman to fly into space. The crew will stay at the Tiangong space station for six months, completing its construction and preparing to attach two new modules – Wentian and Mengtian. They are set to arrive in July and October, respectively.

The space station, scheduled to be completed by the end of 2022, will be a milestone in China's 30-year space program and will mark the beginning of the permanent presence of the Chinese in space.