China successfully launches fifth manned space mission

Beijing (PTI): China on Tuesday successfully launched its fifth and longest manned space mission with three astronauts, including a woman, on board 'Shenzhou-10' as part of the Communist giant's efforts to build a permanent space lab of its own by 2020. Watched by President Xi Jinping, Shenzhou-10 (Divine Craft) spaceship carrying the three astronauts blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu province for a 15-day-long mission during which it would dock with Tiangong-1 space lab orbiting round the Earth and conduct a host of experiments. The text-book launch of Shenzhou-10, atop an upgraded Long March-2F carrier rocket, was telecast live. "China's Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, with three astronauts on board, entered its designated orbit this afternoon, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted Zhang Youxia, chief commander of China's manned space programme as saying. Soon after the launch, Xi, also General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party, congratulated Chinese scientists on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft. China is eyeing to join a select club of countries which have carried out more than one manned space missions. At present, the US and Russia are the other two nations to send independently maintained space stations into orbit.