China successfully launches three astronauts to its space station
The new colonial movement: China today successfully used its Long March 2F rocket to place three astronauts into orbit to begin a six month mission to that country’s new space station.
The image to the right is a screen capture from the live stream, mere seconds after launch.
It appeared to me that the rocket’s first stage might have had grid fins to control its reentry, but I am not certain. Either way both it and the four strap-on boosters will crash in China.
The Shenzhou capsule will dock with the station in a few hours.
The leaders in the 2021 launch race:
36 China
23 SpaceX
17 Russia
4 Northrop Grumman
China has now moved ahead of the U.S. in the national rankings, 36 to 35.
The new colonial movement: China today successfully used its Long March 2F rocket to place three astronauts into orbit to begin a six month mission to that country’s new space station.
The image to the right is a screen capture from the live stream, mere seconds after launch.
It appeared to me that the rocket’s first stage might have had grid fins to control its reentry, but I am not certain. Either way both it and the four strap-on boosters will crash in China.
The Shenzhou capsule will dock with the station in a few hours.
The leaders in the 2021 launch race:
36 China
23 SpaceX
17 Russia
4 Northrop Grumman
China has now moved ahead of the U.S. in the national rankings, 36 to 35.