China’s space station plans near fruition

BEIJING: Three Chinese astronauts yesterday flew to an unfinished space station in China’s first crewed mission since 2016.

The astronauts rode to Tianhe – the module that will be the living quarters of China’s completed space station – on Shenzhou-12. The crew boarded the module, where they will live for three months, the longest stay in low-Earth orbit by any Chinese national.

China’s space station, due to be finished by end-2022, will be the only alternative to the US-led International Space Station.

Shenzhou-12 is the third of 11 missions – four of which will be crewed – needed to complete China’s first full-fledged space station.