29 April 2021
The CZ-5B Y2 rocket, carrying the Tianhe module, launched at 11:23 BJT from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan. Tianhe has a total length of 16.6 m, a maximum diameter of 4.2 m and a takeoff mass of 22.5 t, and is the largest spacecraft developed by China. China will also send the Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft and Shenzhou 12 crewed spaceship this year to dock with the core module. 2 taikonauts will be aboard Shenzhou 12 and stay in orbit for 3 months, said Hao Chun, Director of the CMSA. 2 more crews and cargo supply missions will follow next year.
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