Three Chinese astronauts dock at space station

Three Chinese astronauts docked at the country’s space station, the state broadcaster said, marking a new milestone in Beijing’s drive to become a major space power. The trio blasted off in a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan launch centre in northwestern China’s Gobi desert, said broadcaster CCTV.

The team is tasked with “completing in-orbit assembly and construction of the space station”, as well as “commissioning of equipment” and conducting scientific experiments, state-run CGTN said. The spacecraft docked at the Tiangong station after about “seven hours of flight”, CCTV reported.

— AFP