The three Shenzhou-14 taikonauts, Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, arrived in Beijing on Monday.

The three taikonauts safely returned to Earth on Sunday after completing their six-month mission.

Cai Xuzhe, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission, made his first appearance out of the re-entry capsule after safely landing back on Earth.

Liu Yang, a taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission, made her first appearance out of the re-entry capsule after safely landing back on Earth.

Chen Dong, taikonaut from China's Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission, made his first appearance out of the re-entry capsule after safely landing back on Earth.

The three taikonauts from China's Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission have started getting out of the re-entry capsule after safely landing back on Earth.

China announced Sunday that the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission was a complete success after the three taikonauts aboard landed on Earth.

The re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou-14 spaceship, with three taikonauts on board, successfully returned to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on Sunday. 

The three taikonauts from the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceflight mission said they are in good condition after landing on Earth.

The re-entry capsule of the Shenzhou-14 spaceship, with three taikonauts aboard, has successfully returned to the Dongfeng landing site in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Click here for CGTN's livestream of Shenzhou-14's journey home

The Shenzhou-14 re-entry capsule's parachute was deployed successfully ahead of the spaceship's landing in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

The Shenzhou-14 spaceship's re-entry capsule has separated from the propulsion module.

The chief designer of the taikonaut system of the China Manned Space Program, Huang Weifen talked to CGTN about the performance of the Shenzhou-14 crew members, saying that they did a wonderful job.

"The three taikonauts did very well during the mission, showing their extraordinary mental and physical qualities. I think these well-trained taikonauts set a good example," Huang Weifen commented.

"After they entered the space station in orbit, they adapted very well and quickly to the environment and finished the jobs there brilliantly."

"They constantly experienced the changes and did many extra jobs. They did three extravehicular activities which varied from each other," she answered when asked about why the crew did one more space walk during their six-month stay in space than previous ones.

"After the third one, they installed two connecting devices among the Wentian lab module, the Mengtian lab module and the node cabin of the Tianhe core module. This means that the three modules of the station were finally linked together. This is very meaningful," she said.

"And we could see that Chen Dong, Cai Xuzhe and Liu Yang performed very well not just in the extravehicular activities, but during space lectures as well," she commented.

"They conducted many scientific experiments, including some extra experiments that they didn't receive the trainings for. They also did some activities like filming videos for the public good. They are just wonderful," the taikonaut system chief designer said.

The Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft, carrying taikonauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, separated from China's space station at 11:01 a.m. Beijing Time on Sunday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The three taikonauts will soon put a full stop to their 183-day trip in space and are expected to touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China on the night of December 4, CMSA said.

The Shenzhou-14 taikonauts have been dubbed the "busiest crew" of the China Manned Space Program. They're heading back home on December 4 after a historic jam-packed six-month stay on the China Space Station.

How does the China Space Station maintain power? The answer comes down to these two pairs of flexible solar arrays, which generate 80 percent of the space station's electricity. Do you know how the China Space Station's robotic arms work? Check out this video.

The Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft, carrying astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, separated from China's space station at 11:01 a.m. Beijing Time on Sunday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Before the separation, the Shenzhou-14 astronaut trio conducted China's first-ever in-orbit personnel rotation, the status setting of the space station, and experimental data sorting and downloading, and waved goodbye to the Shenzhou-15 crew.

The three astronauts, who will soon put a full stop to their 183-day trip in space, are expected to touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in northwest China on the night of December 4, according to the CMSA.

The weather during the crew's return window is forecast to reach minus 15 degrees Celsius. 

The site's search and rescue teams, which successfully conducted recoveries of the Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 crews, are ready to stretch out their capabilities for cold winter night rescue. 

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China's Shenhou-14 crew to return at winter night, landing site ready

With the assembly and testing of the Shenzhou-16 spacecraft completed, it is on standby for emergency launches.

Shenzhou-16, which has already been transported to the launch site, is an integral part of China's manned spaceflight program which successfully launched Shenzhou-15 this week, sending three astronauts into space for the final phase of the construction of the China Space Station.

As part of China's ongoing space station missions, there will be a Shenzhou spacecraft on standby at the launch site ready for emergency launch during every active crewed space mission.

Crew members of Shenzhou-14, China's previous manned space mission, are expected to touch down at Dongfeng landing site in North China on the night of December 4, the China Manned Space Agency said on Saturday.

The weather of the crew's return window is reported to reach minus 15 degree Celsius. The site's search and rescue teams, which had successfully conducted recoveries of the Shenzhou-12 and Shenzhou-13 crews, are ready to stretch out their capabilities for cold winter night rescue. 

The team is an integrated aerial-land search and rescue unit with five helicopters and some 60 search vehicles on the ground along with 10 more search and rescue teams. Together, they had performed a joint rehearsal on Thursday night.

Their vehicles and searching equipment have been modified with thermal insulation properties two weeks ahead of the return, and the helicopters are also swapped with high-power searchlights for better night view.

"We've strengthened training in advance to have a better understanding of the geography and weather for this mission, and both of our pilots and equipment are ready," Chen Shi, leader of the aerial search and rescue team, told China Media Group.

The command center has also improved on communication methods for better location of the capsule's landing point so that the astronauts won't wait long after the touchdown. 

Tracking the spacecraft

Currently there are two identical Shenzhou spaceships docked at China's space station. Therefore, tracking the correct returning spacecraft is a new challenge for the ground team.

On the one hand, the spaceships are differentiated through identification numbers and would establish communication with its relay satellites through encrypted keys and pseudo codes.

On the other hand, each spaceship has its designated communication channel for data transmission to ensure that the ground team sends orders to the correct vehicle.

The Shenzhou spaceships are designed to operate in orbit for around six months. So, the Shenzhou-14 crew will board the same spacecraft that they used for docking as they are most familiar with the settings inside.

As China's national space laboratories, the China Space Station's two lab modules have attracted much attention from scientists, who say that besides doing experiments, there is special equipment in one of the lab modules for releasing micro-spacecraft. Let's have a look!

Back in April 2021, China began the space station's construction stage by launching the Tianhe core module. Since then, the China Space Station has evolved into its current T-shape. Do you know how many shapes it has had?

What does the interior of a 110-cubic-meter space station look like? How do the astronauts sleep, eat, live and work inside? Do they have any leisure activities? Check out the video to find out. 

The three astronauts on China's Shenzhou-15 mission conducted the country's first-ever in-orbit rotation with the Shenzhou-14 astronaut trio on Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The Shenzhou-15 crew on Wednesday entered China's space station and met the Shenzhou-14 crew, who were sent to the space station in June, a historic gathering that increased the manpower in the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time.

China's space station has entered an era of long-term manned residence.

The CMSA said the Shenzhou-14 crew had completed all the assigned tasks and would return to Earth on Sunday. The agency also said earlier that the search and rescue team on the ground completed a joint rehearsal on Thursday night.

The return capsule carrying the three taikonauts will touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China, CGTN reported earlier. 

Various systems at the landing site, including the helicopter team, the airlift team and the ground team, have completed preparations and are ready for the return of the Shenzhou-14 crew.

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Six taikonauts gather in the China Space Station 

China's Shenzhou-14 crew members on board the country's orbiting space station will return to Earth on December 4, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said Saturday.

The return capsule carrying the three taikonauts will touch down at the Dongfeng landing site in north China. Various systems at the landing site, including the helicopter team, the airlift team and the ground team, have all completed preparations and are ready for the return of the Shenzhou-14 taikonauts.

The trio was sent to the space station in early June for a six-month mission to help build the space station and have completed all their scheduled tasks.

They welcomed the Shenzhou-15 crew members at the "space home" on Wednesday morning, and handed over the control of the space station to the Shenzhou-15 crew on Friday, completing the country's first in-orbit crew rotation, according to the CMSA.

The six of them will hang around in the space station just a little longer before the Shenzhou-14 taikonauts head back to Earth. 

The chief designer of the taikonaut system of China Manned Space Program, Huang Weifen, shared her excitement with a CGTN reporter after the succesful launch of Shenzhou-15 .

The three Shenzhou-15 astronauts met with the three Shenzhou-14 astronauts at the China Space Station on Wednesday, a historic gathering that increased the manpower at the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time.

The three Chinese astronauts aboard the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft entered the China Space Station's Tianhe core module on Wednesday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The three astronauts aboard China's Shenzhou-15 spaceship entered the country's space station and met with another astronaut trio on Wednesday, a historic gathering that added the manpower at the in-orbit space lab to six for the first time.

China's Shenzhou-15 spaceship, with three taikonauts aboard, has docked with the combination of the country's space station.

They are expected to stay in space for six months as part of the country's space station mission.

China on Tuesday successfully launched the Shenzhou-15 crewed spacecraft.

The Long March 2F Y-15 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft with three taikonauts aboard, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday.

The Shenzhou-15 spaceship was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at 11:08 p.m. on Tuesday (Beijing Time). The three crew members will meet the waiting Shenzhou-14 crew and perform the first handover at the space station.

China on Tuesday successfully launched the Shenzhou-15 crewed spacecraft.

The solar panels on China's Shenzhou-15 crewed spacecraft have successfully unfolded.

China successfully launched the Shenzhou-15 spaceship on Tuesday night with three astronauts on board.

A Long March-2F Y15 rocket blasted off with the spacecraft from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 11:08 p.m. Beijing Time (1508 GMT).

About 10 minutes after the launch, Shenzhou-15 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) declared.

The Shenzhou-15 spaceship made a fast, automated rendezvous and docked with the space station at 5:42 a.m. the next day.

The two teams will work together for about a week before the Shenzhou-14 taikonauts, who have been working at the space station since June, return to Earth next week.

The in-orbit rotation can verify the feasibility of the regular rotation mode that will follow, according to Gao Xu, a senior spaceship designer at the China Academy of Space Technology.

It is the 27th flight mission since the country's manned space program began and the fourth crewed mission for China's space station project.

The success of the launch marks the completion of all 12 launch missions planned in the key technology verification and construction phases of the space station.

The Shenzhou-15 mission will wrap up the last stage of the space station construction and kick off the first stage of its application and development.

Tasks at hand

During their six-month mission, the Shenzhou-15 crew will carry out tests related to long-term residence at the space station at its three-module configuration.

They will unlock, install and test 15 scientific experiment cabinets, and carry out more than 40 experiments and tests.

The crew will conduct three to four spacewalks and complete the installation of the Mengtian lab module extended pump sets and the exposure payload platform, according to Ji Qiming, assistant to the CMSA director.

They will also verify the exit mode of the cargo airlock cabin of the Mengtian module and cooperate with the ground to complete six cargo exit tasks, besides performing regular platform testing, maintenance and space station affairs management.

(With input from Xinhua)

Click here to follow the latest news about the launch.

(CGTN's Gong Zhe, Bu Shi and Liu Wei contributed to the story.)

The Shenzhou-15 crew will fly to China's Tiangong space station tonight. Explore the space station with CGTN's Wu Lei.

The three taikonauts have entered the module of the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft, which is scheduled to be launched in hours.

The three taikonauts arrived at the launch pad for the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft.

This is the Wentiange at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. Before the Shenzhou-15 crew's journey to space, they stay here during preparation procedures. So, what do they do? How many Chinese astronauts have set off from here? In the future, we'll have a new batch of pilots, engineers and payload experts, and there will be foreign astronauts and scientists visiting the Chinese space station.

The Long March-2F rocket is China's only launch vehicle for manned space missions. But what makes the Long March-2F different from other carrier rockets?

The answer is the escape tower, also known as the astronaut's life tower. Want to know more? Check out this video and hear what the chief designer of the escape tower engine had to say.

The three taikonauts are heading to the launch pad for the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft.

A send-off ceremony was held at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for the three taikonauts set to travel into space aboard the Shenzhou-15 spacecraft. Xu Xueqiang, chief commander of China's manned space missions, ordered Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu to carry out the Shenzhou-15 mission. The taikonauts have trained for more than a decade. They will live aboard the China Space Station for six months and witness the official establishment of the station.

Chinese taikonauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu have spent the past decade preparing for space mission. How were they trained for the program? Check out this video and to find how their effort and dedication to fulfill their dreams are paying off.

CGTN reporter Wu Lei met with Qin Tong, a rocket designer from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology and gave us this answer. The designer also spoke about how the team will overcome cold temperature as low as -20 degree Celsius during the Shenzhou-15's launch.

The three Chinese astronauts set to carry out China's Shenzhou-15 crewed spacecraft mission, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, met the press on Monday. The Shenzhou-15 spaceship will be launched on Tuesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.

The three Chinese astronauts set to carry out China's Shenzhou-15 crewed spacecraft mission, Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, are meeting the press.

The Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship is scheduled to be launched on Tuesday.

China has unveiled the crew members for the Shenzhou-15 spaceflight mission with astronauts meeting with the press just a day before their scheduled launch.

Commander Fei Junlong is returning to space after his Shenzhou-6 mission, 17 years ago. Fei is accompanied by two debutants Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Monday.

With the average age of 53, the trio have spent the past decade preparing for the space mission. However, Fei said that "our flying skills remain young". 

"For me, I can spend my whole life getting prepared silently, but I will never allow myself to be unprepared when the task comes by," said Deng.

The Shenzhou-15 mission will be the last in the construction phase of China Space Station (CSS). The three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, are scheduled to stay at the station for half a year.

Upon arrival at the station, they will participate in the first crew handover in orbit with the Shenzhou-14 crew members, Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, who are preparing to head back to Earth. 

It is also the first time China's manned space program will run two Shenzhou spacecraft concurrently.

Meet taikonauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu

Fei Junlong

Born in May 1965, Fei Junlong joined Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force in 1982.

Fei, selected as a member of China's first-generation astronauts in January 1998, made his space debut in 2005 on the Shenzhou-6 mission as the commander for five days.

With that experience, Fei was selected as the commander of the Shenzhou-15 mission and will stay in space for six months this time. 

He told CGTN at a Monday press conference that his team was fully ready for the approaching mission and would complete the task with great success. 

Fei also mentioned that, with the average age of 53, it seems that the Shenzhou-15 crew members are old. However, when compared to other crew members, "our flying skills remain young." 

Deng Qingming

Deng Qingming, born in March 1966, joined PLA Air Force in 1984 and has served as a first-class pilot. 

Deng was selected as member of China's first-generation astronauts in January 1998, and he is the only one who has never been to space in the group. 

Deng was a backup crew member for both the Shenzhou-10 and Shenzhou-11 missions. Five of his peers retired in 2014 without a space flight. 

Shenzhou-15 will be Deng's first space mission. He told reporters that he had prepared for the mission for 25 years and was looking forward to the trip.

"Twenty-five years is a long journey. For many times, I missed the chance to enter the space. Even though I felt disappointed, I never gave up," said Deng, adding that "no matter how old I am, I am needed by the nation. I feel happy today." 

Zhang Lu

Zhang Lu, born in November 1976, was selected as member of China's second-generation astronauts in May 2010. 

Zhang joined PLA Air Force in 1996, and has served as a first-class pilot. 

Shenzhou-15 will also be Zhang's first space mission, as he has been working to achieve the goal through 12-year of unremitting efforts. 

"The universe is mysterious and vast, and I have a lot of expectations for the life in the space. I'm looking forward to enjoy the zero-gravity in life and building and completing our home in the space," Zhang told reporters, adding that the three of them are sharing the same hobby of Chinese calligraphy, which features life philosophy.

Zhang also said that he had prepared some secret gifts for the Shenzhou-14 crew members and won't disclose until they meet in person. 

CSS welcomes more astronauts

With the arrival of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship, the CSS will be expanded to its largest configuration formed of three modules and three spaceships, with a total mass of nearly 100 tonnes, said Ji Qiming, spokesperson for the CMSA.

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-15 taikonauts will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft and Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship. The team will also have a handover with the upcoming Shenzhou-16 crew in orbit.

China has 39 astronauts in its first, second and third generations. It started the selection process of the fourth batch of astronauts this September. For the first time, it is open to applicants from Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. Between 12 and 14 candidates will be chosen, including seven or eight pilots. Engineers will also be selected as well as two payload experts. 

In addition, astronauts from other countries are also welcome to conduct experiments in the CSS, Ji said, adding that many countries have applied to send astronauts to participate in spaceflight missions to the CSS, and the CMSA is coordinating with relevant countries on it.

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Live: Special coverage of China's Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft mission crew members meet the press

Click here for CGTN's special coverage of the Shenzhou-15 manned mission

China will launch the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship on Tuesday evening, sending another batch of three taikonauts to the orbiting China Space Station (CSS), the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said at a press conference on Monday.

The Long March-2F Y15 rocket carrying the spaceship is scheduled to blast off at 11:08 p.m. Beijing Time from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, said Ji Qiming, spokesperson for the CMSA.

Taikonauts Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu have been selected to carry out the Shenzhou-15 space mission, with Fei serving as the mission commander. They will live and work in the space station for six months and return to Earth in May next year.

First crew handover

The Shenzhou-15 mission, the last one in the construction phase of the CSS, will mark the first crew handover in the newly completed three-module space station.

After entering orbit, the spaceship will make a fast, automated rendezvous and dock with the front port of the space station's core module Tianhe.

The crew members will be greeted by the three Shenzhou-14 taikonauts currently aboard the space station. The two teams will stay together for about a week, before the Shenzhou-14 crew head back to Earth.

CSS to be expanded

With the arrival of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship, the space station will be expanded to its largest configuration formed of three modules and three spaceships, with a total mass of nearly 100 tonnes, Ji said. 

During their stay in orbit, the Shenzhou-15 taikonauts will witness the arrival of the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft and Shenzhou-16 manned spaceship. The team will also have a handover with the upcoming Shenzhou-16 crew in orbit.

Tasks for Shenzhou-15 crew

During the six-month mission, the Shenzhou-15 crew members will complete various tasks, according to Ji. 

Firstly, they will verify the space station's capability to support taikonauts' long-term stay in its three-module configuration.

Secondly, they will unlock, install and test 15 experiment cabinets, and carry out more than 40 scientific experiments and technical tests in the fields of space science research and application, space medicine and space technologies.

Besides, they will conduct three to four extra-vehicular activities to complete tasks including the installation of expansion pumps for the Mengtian lab module.

In coordination with the ground team, the crew will also complete six cargo transfers, moving cargo out of the space station from the airlock cabin.

In addition, they will carry out daily management and maintenance of the space station along with in-orbit exercise and training.  

CSS welcomes international astronauts

Astronauts from other countries are welcome to conduct experiments in the CSS, Ji said, adding that a number of countries have applied to send astronauts to participate in spaceflight missions to the CSS, and the CMSA is coordinating with relevant countries on it.

China has conducted various forms of exchanges and cooperation with other space agencies and international organizations, he noted. 

Space science projects selected by China, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs and the European Space Agency are being implemented as planned, and relevant payloads will be sent to the space station for experiments starting from next year, Ji added. 

Spaceship upgraded

The Shenzhou-15 spaceship is composed of three capsules - an orbital capsule, a service capsule and a reentry capsule .

"A new batch of spaceships started to be used since the Shenzhou-12 mission," said Diao Weihe, chief designer of the manned spaceship system at the 5th Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. "So now it's the Shenzhou-15, which reaches the maximum reliability as it's already the fourth one of the batch."

Diao said that the team has made some adjustments to improve the Shenzhou-15's capability. "For example, we optimized the layout inside the spaceship and its ability to re-enter the Earth's atmosphere."

The taikonauts can enjoy more fresh fruits this time as more have been packed for this mission, added Diao.

He also said the team has prepared plans for the spaceship in different phases including lifting off, docking, separation and returning to ensure the taikonauts' safety in the mission.

The launch vehicle for the mission, the Long March-2F Y15 rocket, has also been upgraded with 45 technological items compared with its predecessor, with its efficiency improved.

Click here for CGTN's special coverage of the Shenzhou-15 manned mission.

(CGTN's Liu Tianwen, Liu Wei, Zhao Yuxia and Geng Xiuhui also contributed to the report.)

There's a team always standing by at the launch pad until the last 30 minutes before a launch. They are the special repair team responsible for solving emergencies or in case if something needs to be repaired.  But they'd rather hope there will never be such chances.

CGTN reporter Wu Lei interviewed this emergency maintenance team at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center and got to know more about their stories.

The Shenzhou-15 crewed mission is ready for launch with various systems and preparations checked, after a joint pre-launch rehearsal, said the China Manned Space Agency (CMS) on Sunday. 

Around 7:00 a.m. on Sunday, the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, the Xi'an Satellite Control Center and other space tracking and control facilities involved in this mission conducted a simulated launching procedure under the unified command of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).

The Shenzhou-15 is due to launch three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, to the China Space Station for a half-year trip. They will briefly stay in the space station with the three-person Shenzhou-14 crew, who are preparing to head back to Earth. 

China's manned space program will run two Shenzhou spacecraft concurrently for the first time, creating new challenges.

All on good track

The Yuanwang-6 spacecraft tracking ship, which will carry out the tracking and control mission, is now in its designated mission area.

The Shenzhou-15 mission faces a difficult launch window in severe winter conditions, so teams including meteorological support, measurement and launching have intensified meteorological consultation and review of the related facilities.

Wang Xuewu, deputy director of the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, told China Media Group (CMG) that "to deal with the low temperature during the launch, our teams in charge of all systems at the launch site carried out facilities and equipment reviews continuously."

"Judging from today's joint rehearsal with inspection of all equipment and the entire system, we can say that all the systems of the rocket, the spaceship and the launch site are in good conditions, and we've finished preparatory work for the rocket refueling."

Chang Wuquan, chief designer of Long March 2F, also told CMG that since the Long March 2F Y-15 rocket was transferred to the launch tower on November 21, his team had connected the devices on the rocket and the ground equipment, and checked the condition of the whole rocket and its sub-systems according to the work plan.

"Through inspections, we've confirmed that the rocket is in a very good condition. We hope it can carry the Shenzhou-15 crew into the space smoothly," said Chang.

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China prepares to launch crewed Shenzhou-15 spaceship

(Cover: A combination of the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, November 21, 2022. /Screenshot from CGTN video)

The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft carried by a Long March-2F carrier rocket was transported to the launch pad on November 21 at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. It will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

A combination of the Shenzhou-15 spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket has been transferred to the launch area and will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Monday.

The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, and various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, the agency added.

The Shenzhou-15 mission is expected to launch three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, to the China Space Station for a half-year stay. They will briefly stay with the three-person Shenzhou-14 crew in the space station, before the latter head back to Earth.

"The handover works will last about five to ten days," said Gao Xu, chief designer of the manned spacecraft general system at China Academy of Space Technology (CAST). "After that, the Shenzhou-14 crew will come home aboard the Shenzhou-14 spacecraft."

This is the first time for China's manned space program to run two Shenzhou spacecraft at the same time, which introduced new challenges for the space program.

"We need to identify each of the ships during signal transmission," said Xiao Xuedi, managing designer of the spacecraft at CAST. "We have done thorough simulations to get ready for the new mission."

The rocket engineers made 26 changes to the Long March-2F to address newly discovered issues, according to Liu Feng, deputy chief designer of the rocket at CAST.

China is finishing the assembly of its space station as the core module and two lab modules are working in orbit.

The construction of the space station is expected to finish by the end of the year.

(Zheng Yibing and Bu Shi contributed to the story.)