China: Taikonauts take off into space – and successfully dock at the space station (video)

Successful start at a Chinese space station in the Gobi desert on Saturday. Three Chinese astronauts, so-called Taikonauts, were sent to the Chinese space station “Tiangong”, translated as “Heavenly Palace”. According to the Chinese space agency, the mission has so far proceeded as planned. Several hours after departure, the trio of astronauts was able to dock at the station. The team, which was officially adopted beforehand, is to spend six months in the core module of the space station, which is still under construction. That would be the longest manned space mission in China to date. According to Chinese plans, “Tiangong” should go into full operation in the coming year. The three Taikonauts are now to test the living area of ​​the space station, work there and drive the further construction of the station. The goal of China is to catch up with the space programs of the USA and Russia with the help of billions in investments.