Three Chinese astronauts launch for six-month mission on space station

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Three Chinese Astronauts Launch For Six-Month Mission On Space Station
China Space, © AP/Press Association Images
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By Associated Press Reporter

China has launched a three-person crew for a six-month mission aboard its space station.

The trio will set a new record for the length of time spent in space by Chinese astronauts as the country moves towards complete the orbiting structure.

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The Shenzhou-13 spaceship carrying the three astronauts was launched by a Long March-2F rocket at 12.25am local time.


The spaceship Shenzhou-13 is launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)

It is expected to complete docking with the Tianhe module within the next six hours, beginning the mission that will continue the work of the initial crew.

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Those crew members conducted two spacewalks and deployed a 33ft mechanical arm before returning from their 90-day stay in mid-September.

The new crew includes two veterans of space travel – pilot Zhai Zhigang, 55, and Wang Yaping, 41, the only woman on the mission – and Ye Guangfu, 41, who is making his first trip to space.

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