BEIJING: China sent three astronauts to its permanently inhabited space station on Thursday in its 15th crew of aerospace and the 20th gathered in the Shenzhou program, which started over three decades ago.
Spacecraft Shenzhou-20 and the crew lifted on top of a long March-2F rocket from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at. 17:17 (0917 GMT), according to State TV Company CCTV.
State News Agency Xinhua reported shortly after the launch was successful.
The launch comes when China’s progress in moon and space research draws in several countries.
Pakistan performs a preliminary selection of astronauts, one of which will eventually be sent to space at a future Shenzhou space and become the first foreign astronaut to enter China’s Tiangong Room Station.
