China to float new crewed mission into space

BEIJING, Apr 22 (AFP): China is expected to launch a new crewed mission into space this week, as Beijing takes steady steps towards its goal of putting astronauts on the Moon.

The Shenzhou-20 mission will blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, carrying three astronauts to the country's self-built Tiangong space station for a likely six-month stay. The team will undertake experiments to further the space programme's ambitious aims to place astronauts on the Moon by 2030 and eventually build a lunar base.