China launches new mission to space station
AFP | Beijing
The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com
China sent a fresh crew to its Tiangong space station yesterday, in the latest mission for a growing space programme that plans to send people to the Moon by 2030.
The Shenzhou-17 blasted off from the Jiuquan launch site in northwest China at 11:14 am (0314 GMT), carrying a three-astronaut team with the youngest average age since the space station’s construction.
At a farewell ceremony, hundreds of supporters waving the Chinese national flag and clutching yellow flowers cheered on the three astronauts -- wearing white and blue spacesuits -- as they were introduced to the crowds.
The patriotic song “Ode to the Motherland” was sung as the space travellers walked slowly down a short pathway between the crowds, smiling and waving goodbye before boarding a bus to the launch site.
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