This is a major test of the country's ambitions to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon.
The Long March 5B rocket took off from the southern island of Hainan and eight minutes later an unmanned prototype spaceship successfully separated and entered its planned orbit, according to state media. AFP/STR
The successful maiden flight of the 54-metre Long March 5B — which has a takeoff mass of about 849 tonnes — should reassure China, following failures of the 7A model in March and 3B model in April. “It depends how ambitious the Chinese space programme is at the moment but missions beyond the Moon will be possible,” said Carter Palmer, space systems analyst with US-based Forecast International consultancy.
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