China sets new annual record with launch of manned Shenzhou-15 to space station
China today successfully used its Long March 2F rocket to launch three astronauts on a six month mission to its Tiangong-3 space station, setting a new annual national record for launches in a single year.
China’s previous high of 52 successfully launches was achieved last year. This launch, with about five weeks left in the year, is its 53rd in 2022.
This mission will also be the first on Tiangong-3 where there will be an overlap of two crews, with six people occupying the station for a short while.
The leaders in the 2022 launch race:
54 SpaceX
53 China
20 Russia
9 Rocket Lab
8 ULA
The U.S. still leads China 78 to 53 in the national rankings, while trailing the rest of the world combined 83 to 78.
China today successfully used its Long March 2F rocket to launch three astronauts on a six month mission to its Tiangong-3 space station, setting a new annual national record for launches in a single year.
China’s previous high of 52 successfully launches was achieved last year. This launch, with about five weeks left in the year, is its 53rd in 2022.
This mission will also be the first on Tiangong-3 where there will be an overlap of two crews, with six people occupying the station for a short while.
The leaders in the 2022 launch race:
54 SpaceX
53 China
20 Russia
9 Rocket Lab
8 ULA
The U.S. still leads China 78 to 53 in the national rankings, while trailing the rest of the world combined 83 to 78.