May 30, 2023

The Shenzhou 16 mission starting with the launch atop a Long March-2F rocket (Photo courtesy Xinhua/Li Gang)

A confirmation has arrived that three Chinese taikonauts from the Shenzhou 16 mission reached the Chinese space station Tiangong with an automated docking maneuver. They blasted off about seven hours earlier on a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. They form the fifth crew of the Chinese space station and will remain there for about six months, the standard duration for a mission.