China launched a three-man space flight to its Tiangong space station Sunday, where one astronaut will remain in orbit for a full year to prepare for future flights to the Moon. Beijing has said it aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, having poured billions into its space programme over the past three decades.
China launched its Shenzhou-23 mission on Sunday, which will see a Chinese astronaut spend a full year in orbit for the first time, a crucial step in Beijing's ambition to send humans to the Moon by 2030.