China launched a new rocket at 10:00 GMT, in a test of its ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.
The rocket is expected to carry a next-generation spacecraft that is supposed to one day transport astronauts to a space station that China plans to complete by 2022 -- and eventually to the Moon.
The prototype vessel -- designed for low-Earth orbit and deep space exploration -- has enough room for six astronauts, compared to three seats in the previous model. "The mission will test the key technologies of the new manned spaceship such as the control of its re-entry into the atmosphere, heat shielding and recovery technology," Yang Qing, a designer of the spaceship with the China Academy of Space Technology, was quoted as saying by the official Xinhua news agency in March.New rocket, manned spaceship & cargo return cabin! The Long March-5B carrier rocket, China's first 1.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Long queues as government rolls out R200bn grants pay outThere are long queues at social grant payment points as a special COVID-19 grant starts this month.
Read more »
‘We are just trying to survive’ – Durban grant recipient in long line for vital Sassa pay'We don't know anything now. Sometimes government says one thing, but something else happens.'
Read more »
The writing was on the wall for SA newspapers long before Covid-19 - The Mail & GuardianPublications have cut salaries and frozen posts in a bid to survive Covid-19, but most owners failed to take appropriate steps when problems emerged in the late 1990s, writes GasantAbarder. WorldPressFreedomDay
Read more »
China has questions to answer over novel coronavirus outbreak, says UKChina has questions to answer over the information it shared about the novel coronavirus outbreak but a post mortem over its role should come later, Britain's Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said. Covid19 PandemicDebate coronavirus
Read more »
MARKET WRAP: JSE drops as US-China tensions resurfaceAbsa’s purchasing managers’ index fell to 46.1 index points in April from 48.1 previously
Read more »
US says ‘evidence’ virus came from China lab as Europe eases lockdownUS Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday said 'enormous evidence' showed the new coronavirus originated in a lab in China, further fueling tensions with Beijing over its handling of the outbreak.
Read more »