China to launch next crewed mission on Sunday to build space station

China will launch a spacecraft on Sunday carrying three astronauts to the core module of the unfinished Chinese space station, where they will work and live for six months as construction enters advanced stages.

A Long March-2F rocket carrying the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft is set to blast off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the northwestern province of Gansu at 10:44 a.m. local time (0244 GMT) on Sunday, a China Manned Space Agency official told a news conference on Saturday.

Mission commander Chen Dong will be accompanied by Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe aboard Shenzhou, meaning “Divine Vessel” in Chinese.

“All preparations for the launch are basically ready,” said Lin Xiqiang, an agency official.

Shenzhou-14 will be the third of four crewed missions - and the seventh of a total of 11 missions - needed to complete the space station by the end of the year.

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