(Beijing) Three Chinese astronauts completed a record three-month space mission on Thursday at the construction site of China’s space station, Xinhua said.
The three men had left Earth in June aboard the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft. Their 90-day mission is the longest ever by Chinese astronauts in space, the official news agency said, without specifying when they are expected to return to Earth.
According to New China, the ship separated from the Tiangong terminal on which it docked for three months at 8:56 a.m. Beijing time (8:56 p.m. ET).
In a context of tension with the West, the success of the mission is a matter of prestige for Beijing, which celebrated its first day.He is July Centenary of the Chinese Communist Party.
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Tiangong Station, when completed, will be similar in size to the former Soviet Mir station.
The Chinese space station, when completed, will be similar in size to the former Soviet Mir station (1986-2001). She will be at least ten years old.
China decided to build its own space station after the United States refused to allow it to participate in the International Space Station (ISS).
The latter – which brings together the US, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan – is due to retire in 2024, although NASA has mentioned a possible extension beyond 2028.