A rocket carrying three veteran astronauts bound for China's orbiting space station module will launch from the Gobi Desert in the country's north, China's space agency announced
The three men, Nie Haisheng, 56, Liu Boming, 54, and Tang Hongbo, 45, will become the first Chinese astronauts to land on the initial stages of the space station, called Tiangong or Heavenly Palace, which is still under construction in a low Earth orbit.China's Manned Space Engineering Office made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday, saying the launch would take place at 9:22 a.m. Beijing time Thursday from Jiuquan Space Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.
The launch will mark Nie's third trip into space, having been aboard China's first mission with more than one astronaut in 2005, and its 2013 mission to test its docking technology.Liu Boming, the second oldest team member, joined China's 2008 space mission, in which he helped Zhai Zhigang become the first Chinese astronaut to conduct a spacewalk.
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