April 24 (UPI) -- China launched a crew of three astronauts for orbit Thursday to begin a six-month-long mission aboard the Tiangong space station.
The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Gansu province at 5:17 a.m. EDT with three crew members aboard, led by commander Chen Dong on what is his third mission to space.
The mission is the first in space for other crew members Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie. The trio is expected to reach and dock at Tiangong just before noon EDT and take over for the Shenzhou-19 crew, who will then prepare for their return to Earth, which is scheduled for April 29.
This is Commander Chen's second trip to Tiangong, as he also led the Shenzhou-14 mission in 2022. His first mission was in 2016, when he went to the Tiangong 2 space lab, a precursor to the current space station.
"I feel immense pride and honor to once again embark on a space journey for my country. It is a great privilege and joy," Chen said Wednesday during a press conference, and added "On the other hand, I have greater expectations. Every spaceflight is unique, and I look forward to gaining more experience and making new breakthroughs during this mission."
Shenzhou-20 is the ninth mission to Tiagong, which China reportedly intends to expand and keep permanently staffed for at least a decade and eventually open it to commercial activities.
