The Tiangong space station, operated by rotating teams of three astronauts, is the centerpiece of China’s billion-dollar space program.
Beijing aims to send astronauts to the Moon by the end of the decade and eventually build a lunar base to rival the US and Russian space programs.
Of mice and men in space
Tiangong’s latest crew includes first-time astronauts Zhang Hongzhang and Wu Fei, who at age 32 is China’s youngest astronaut to be sent into space. They are led by Commander Zhang Lu, who spent time in space two years ago.
The spacecraft also carries four rats, marking the first time China is sending small mammals to the space station.
They will be monitored to study how weightlessness and confinement affect their behavior patterns.
The “space rats” were selected from among 300 candidates after more than 60 days of intensive training, according to China’s official Xinhua news agency.
The astronauts plan to conduct 27 experiments in areas such as biotechnology, space medicine and materials science.
US-China space race
The launch comes as China plans a manned mission to the Moon by the end of the decade.
“China’s goal of landing a man on the Moon by 2030 is firm,” said Zhang Jingbo, a spokesman for the China Manned Space Agency.
Built entirely by China after it was built out of the International Space Station, the Tiangong space station has established Beijing as a major space power.
This week, SpaceX said it has presented a “simplified” plan to NASA to return American astronauts to the Moon before China completes a manned lunar mission.
Edited by: Shawn Sinico
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