The Space Pace
The taikonauts, or Chinese astronauts, have become frequent space travelers, with the Shenzhou spacecraft, literally “divine vessel,” blasting off to the ever intensified beats of China’s space programs.
The latest crewed spacecraft launch took place on June 5, with Shenzhou-14 delivering three taikonauts—Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe—to Tiangong, China’s permanent space station, for a six-month stay there.
The spacecraft blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu Province. About seven hours after the launch, the craft conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the combination of the core module, and cargo crafts.
