China on Monday launched the last of the three modules that will comprise its space station, set to be the second permanently inhabited outpost in low-earth orbit after the NASA-led International Space Station.
The uncrewed Mengtian, or "Dreaming of the Heavens", module was launched atop China's most powerful rocket, the Long March 5B, at 3:37 p.m. (0737 GMT) from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre in the southern island province of Hainan.
In April 2021, China began construction of its space station with the launch of the Tianhe module, the main living quarters for astronauts. In July this year it launched Wentian, or "Quest for the Heavens", a laboratory module where scientific experiments will be performed.
