China sends three astronauts to complete space station: CCTV | The Straits Times

BEIJING (AFP, XINHUA) – China on Sunday (June 5) launched a rocket carrying three astronauts on a mission to complete the construction of its new space station, state broadcaster CCTV said, the latest milestone in Beijing’s drive to become a major space power. The trio blasted off in a Long March-2F rocket at 0244 GMT from the Jiuquan launch center in northwestern China’s Gobi desert, with the team expected to spend six months expanding the Tiangong space station. Shenzhou-14 mission commander Chen Dong, 43, and team mates Liu Yang, 43, and Cai Xuzhe, 46, all from China's second cohort of…