Sidebar

Exclusive Reports

28
Thu, Mar

China Set For Moon Trip

Exclusives
Typography
  • Smaller Small Medium Big Bigger
  • Default Helvetica Segoe Georgia Times

China launched a newly designed spacecraft on Tuesday in a test of its ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.

The Long March-5B carrier rocket took off 1800 local time (1000 GMT) at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the southern island province of Hainan. The Long March-5B with a length of about 53.7 meters and takeoff mass of about 849 tonnes and was also carrying an inflatable cargo return. The new long March rocket has been specially designated to propel modules of the future space into orbit.

China revealed in March that it was aiming to launch an experimental spacecraft without a crew as part of a broader spaceflight programme to shuttle astronauts to its future space station and for the future manned space exploration.

The U.S however, has banned most space cooperation with China out of national security concerns, China has been in competition to catch up with Russia and the Unites State to become a major space power by 2030.

BLOG COMMENTS POWERED BY DISQUS