Three Chinese astronauts were sent into space as part of the first mission to staff the nation’s new space station
, China’s state-led space program resembles earlier efforts from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, which regularly included military personnel on active duty.
The astronauts, wearing Chinese flags and Communist Party pins on their lapels indicating their membership in China’s ruling party, greeted reporters Wednesday at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. China has made leaps and bounds in space exploration in recent years, last month becoming only the second nation to successfully land and operate a roverThe U.S. and China are in a race to explore Mars. China successfully landed its Zhurong rover on the red planet, according to state media, just months after NASA landed its Perseverance rover. Photos: NASA; CCTV
Tiangong, which is much smaller than the ISS, will host foreign astronauts once it is completed, according to Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office.
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