The nation's latest Shenzhou-18 manned space mission blasted off on Thursday, with three astronauts making their way to the Tiangong space station in the early hours of Friday.

The rocket, carrying astronauts Ye Guangfu, Li Cong and Li Guangsu, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the northwest province of Gansu at 8.59pm. Xinhua reported that the crew completed their docking at about 3.30am and were able to board a couple of hours later.

Zou Lipeng, the centre's director, declared the launch mission a complete success.

"The Long March-2F Y18 rocket has sent Shenzhou-18 manned spaceship to the intended orbit accurately... I hereby announce that Shenzhou-18 has been launched successfully," he said.

The trio will stay in orbit for six months, during which they will carry out more than 90 experiments in the fields of basic physics in microgravity, space material and life science, space medicine and space technology.

They will create an "aquarium" and raise zebrafish and algae in zero gravity, to study how the space environment affects their growth and the aquatic ecosystem.

The crew will also cultivate plants in an experiment to help with designing crops that adapt to outer space conditions. (Additional reporting by Xinhua)
_____________________________
Last updated: 2024-04-26 HKT 05:31