China launches three new astronauts to its space station

Beijing | China launched three astronauts to its space station on Thursday to replace their colleagues manning the station for the past six months.

The Shenzhou-20 crewed spaceship carrying the astronauts blasted off at 5:17 pm (Beijing Time) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China, according to the live telecast by the state television CGTN.

The spaceship is carrying three astronauts -- Chen Dong, Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie.

Shenzhou-20 is the 35th flight mission of China's manned space programme, and the fifth crewed mission during the application and development stage of China's space station.

The crew is scheduled to return to the Dongfeng landing site in north China in late October this year.

China rotates a three-member crew manning the space station named Tiangong every six months.

After the new set of crew members enter the station, the other three are expected to return to earth on April 29.

The crew will conduct new life science experiments involving zebrafish, planarians and streptomyces, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesman Lin Xiqiang told the media on Wednesday.

These experiments will mark China's first space-based investigation into the regeneration of planarians, a new organism introduced to China's space station and known for their extraordinary ability to regrow organs, Lin said.

This project will enhance our understanding of fundamental mechanisms of regeneration at the individual level and could provide insights into human health issues related to space-induced injuries, Lin said.

The launch day also coincided with China's 10th Space Day.

China designated April 24 as its Space Day in 2016 to mark the successful launch of its first satellite, Dongfanghong-1 on April 24, 1970.

The CMSA also said on Wednesday that two Pakistani astronauts will be selected to receive spaceflight training in China to take part in a joint mission to the country's space station.

One of the two Pakistanis will participate as a payload specialist, state-run Xinhua quoted a CMSA spokesperson as saying.

China built its space station after it was reportedly excluded from the International Space Station (ISS) over concerns that China's space programme is manned by its military, the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

It is currently the only country to have a space station while the ISS is a collaborative project of several countries.

Observers say China's space station may become the only one of its kind in orbit once the ISS retires in the coming years.

The two robotic arms of the station, especially the long one which has the ability to grab objects including satellites from space, drew international concerns.