Maiden Flight
May 5, Wenchang, Hainan Province: China’s new large carrier rocket Long March-5b blasts off from Wenchang Space Launch Center. The rocket made its maiden flight that day, loaded with a trial version of China’s next-generation manned spaceship and return capsule. The successful flight marked the beginning of the “third step” of China’s manned space program, which is to construct a space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.