China successfully launched three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Thursday, marking the 15th crewed mission under the Shenzhou program, which commenced over three decades ago.

The Shenzhou-20 spacecraft lifted off atop a Long March-2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China at 5:17 p.m. local time. State media confirmed the success of the launch shortly after liftoff .

The crew comprises mission commander Chen Dong, embarking on his third spaceflight, alongside first-time astronauts Chen Zhongrui and Wang Jie. They are scheduled to spend approximately six months aboard Tiangong, conducting scientific experiments, technology tests, and station maintenance activities .

This mission underscores China’s expanding ambitions in space exploration, including plans to land astronauts on the moon by 2030 and establish a lunar research base.