BEIJING (Reuters) - China will launch a two-man space mission, Shenzhou 11, on Monday, officials with the space program said, taking the country closer to its ambition of setting up a permanent manned space station by 2022.

Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng (L) and Chen Dong wave at a news conference before China launches the Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft, in Jiuquan, China, October 16, 2016. China Daily/via REUTERS

President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims.

China says its space program is for peaceful purposes, but the U.S. Defense Department has highlighted its increasing capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed to prevent adversaries from using space-based assets in a crisis.

After Monday’s launch at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) in the remote northwestern province of Gansu, the astronauts will dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, where they will spend about a month.

“This mission is characterized by its longer duration and more tests,” Chen Dong, the junior astronaut on the mission, told reporters in a televised news conference. “We will focus on improving our ability to handle emergencies in orbit, medical first aid, mutual rescue capabilities and space experiments.”

Shenzhou 11 will be the third space mission for Jing Haipeng, who will command the mission and pass his 50th birthday in space.

The spacecraft, whose name translates as “Divine Vessel”, will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space.

China launched its second experimental space lab Tiangong 2, or “Heavenly Palace 2”, last month.

While China to date has focused on near-Earth space exploration, future missions will be bigger and go farther than 400 km (249 miles), said Zhang Yulin, an official with the space program and the Central Military Commission.

The country’s space program will soon move from exploratory testing to normal operations with the launch of the next space station, Xinhua news agency quoted Zhang as saying.

“Then spacecraft launches won’t be like now, one every few years, instead there will be several each year.”</s>China successfully launched the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft into orbit with two astronauts on board, making it the country’s sixth manned space mission. The spacecraft was lifted atop a Long March 2F rocket at 7:30 a.m. local time on Oct. 17 (7:30 p.m. EDT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre located in the Gobi desert. The crewed space vehicle will reportedly dock with a new space laboratory module.

“The rocket is flying according to its original plan, and the Shenzhou spacecraft has entered its preliminary orbit,” said Gen. Zhang Youxia, chief commander of China’s manned space program. “I announce the launch of Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft is a complete success.”

The two member crew on the spacecraft includes veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, who flew on Shenzhou-7 in 2008 and Shenzhou-9 in 2012, as well as newbie astronaut Chen Dong who is making his first spaceflight. The spacecraft is scheduled to attach with the Tiangong-2 module on October 18. Incidentally, the module itself was launched on September 15. The two astronauts will stay on board the Tiangong-2 for a duration of 30 days, which will make this particular manned space mission twice as long as the prevalent human spaceflight endurance record held by China, with its Shenzhou-10 mission that took place in June 2013.

Haipeng and Dong will carry out a variety of space, medical and science experiments aboard the Tiangong-2 during their 30 day mission. In addition, the two astronauts will also examine the various systems of the module itself. The sixth manned space mission which took off on the Shenzhou-11 is part of China’s efforts to work on developing a permanent space station, and the country hopes to expect this station to be completed by the early 2020s, as per reports. Incidentally, the expected space station being developed by the country is not going to be as big as the International Space Station (ISS); however it will comprise of numerous smaller modules.</s>BEIJING — China launched a pair of astronauts into space Monday on a mission to dock with an experimental space station and remain aboard for 30 days in preparation for the start of operations by a full-bore facility six years from now.

The Shenzhou 11 mission took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

It will dock with the Tiangong 2 space station precursor facility within two days, conduct experiments in medicine and various space-related technologies, and test systems and processes in preparation for the launching of the station’s core module in 2018.

Space program commander-in-chief Gen. Zhang Youxia declared the launch a success at 7:46 a.m. (2346 GMT). Defense Minister Fan Changlong then read a congratulatory message from President Xi Jinping calling for China’s astronauts to explore space “more deeply and more broadly.”

Premier Li Keqiang and propaganda chief Liu Yunshan visited the Beijing control center to congratulate staff. It is the sixth time China has launched astronauts into space and the duration will be the longest by far.

Following the attachment of two experiment modules, the completed station is set to begin full operations in 2022 and will run for at least a decade.

An earlier Tiangong 1 experimental space station launched in 2011 went out of service in March after docking with three visiting spacecraft and extending its mission for two years. The Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” stations are considered stepping stones to a mission to Mars by the end of the decade.

The Shenzhou 11 astronauts are Jing Haipeng, who is flying his third mission, and 37-year-old Chen Dong.

“It is any astronaut’s dream and pursuit to be able to perform many space missions,” Jing, who turns 50 during his time in space, told a briefing Sunday.

China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, becoming only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so, and has since staged a spacewalk and landed its Yutu rover on the moon. Administrators suggest a crewed landing on the moon may also be in the program’s future.

China was prevented from participating in the International Space Station, mainly due to U.S. concerns over the Chinese space program’s strongly military character. Chinese officials are now looking to internationalize their own program by offering to help finance other countries’ missions to Tiangong 2.

China’s space program also opened its massive fourth spacecraft launch site at Wenchang on China’s southernmost island province of Hainan in June. It was inaugurated with the launch of the newly developed Long March 7 rocket that was hailed as a breakthrough in the use of safer, more environmentally friendly fuels.

China is currently developing the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket needed to launch the Tiangong 2′s additional components and other massive payloads.

China also plans to land a rover on Mars by 2020, attempting to recreate the success of the U.S. Viking 1 mission that landed a rover on the planet four decades ago.

A source of enormous national pride, China’s space program plans a total of 20 missions this year at a time when the U.S. and other countries’ programs are seeking new roles.</s>BEIJING | China launched a pair of astronauts into space Monday on a mission to dock with an experimental space station and remain aboard for 30 days in preparation for the start of operations by a full-bore facility six years from now.

The Shenzhou 11 mission took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng, right, and Chen Dong, left, wave farewell to the crowd before getting on Shenzhou 11 spacecraft at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China Monday Oct. 17, 2016. The spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong 2 space station within two days and the astronauts will stay there for 30 days to test the complex's ability to support their life. (Chinatopix via AP) In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency taken with a fisheye lens, technicians monitor from the Beijing Aerospace Control Center in Beijing ahead of the planned Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft to be launched from northern China, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. China launched a pair of astronauts into space Monday on a mission to dock with an experimental space station and remain aboard for 30 days in preparation for the assembly of a full facility six years from now. (Ju Zhenhua/Xinhua via AP) In this photo provided by China's Xinhua News Agency, the Long March-2F carrier rocket carrying China's Shenzhou 11 spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. China has launched a pair of astronauts into space on a mission to dock with an experimental space station and remain aboard for 30 days. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP) In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, the Long March-2F carrier rocket carrying China's Shenzhou 11 manned spacecraft blasts off from the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, northwest China's Gansu Province, Monday, Oct. 17, 2016. China launched a pair of astronauts into space Monday on a mission to dock with an experimental space station and remain aboard for 30 days in preparation for the assembly of a full facility six years from now.(Ju Zhenhua/Xinhua via AP)

It will dock with the Tiangong 2 space station precursor facility within two days, conduct experiments in medicine and various space-related technologies, and test systems and processes in preparation for the launching of the station’s core module in 2018.

Space program commander-in-chief Gen. Zhang Youxia declared the launch a success at 7:46 a.m. (2346 GMT). Defense Minister Fan Changlong then read a congratulatory message from President Xi Jinping calling for China’s astronauts to explore space “more deeply and more broadly.”

Premier Li Keqiang and propaganda chief Liu Yunshan visited the Beijing control center to congratulate staff. It is the sixth time China has launched astronauts into space and the duration will be the longest by far.

Following the attachment of two experiment modules, the completed station is set to begin full operations in 2022 and will run for at least a decade.

An earlier Tiangong 1 experimental space station launched in 2011 went out of service in March after docking with three visiting spacecraft and extending its mission for two years. The Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” stations are considered stepping stones to a mission to Mars by the end of the decade.

The Shenzhou 11 astronauts are Jing Haipeng, who is flying his third mission, and 37-year-old Chen Dong.

“It is any astronaut’s dream and pursuit to be able to perform many space missions,” Jing, who turns 50 during his time in space, told a briefing Sunday.

China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, becoming only the third country after Russia and the U.S. to do so, and has since staged a spacewalk and landed its Yutu rover on the moon. Administrators suggest a crewed landing on the moon may also be in the program’s future.

China was prevented from participating in the International Space Station, mainly due to U.S. concerns over the Chinese space program’s strongly military character. Chinese officials are now looking to internationalize their own program by offering to help finance other countries’ missions to Tiangong 2.

China’s space program also opened its massive fourth spacecraft launch site at Wenchang on China’s southernmost island province of Hainan in June. It was inaugurated with the launch of the newly developed Long March 7 rocket that was hailed as a breakthrough in the use of safer, more environmentally friendly fuels.

China is currently developing the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket needed to launch the Tiangong 2’s additional components and other massive payloads.

China also plans to land a rover on Mars by 2020, attempting to recreate the success of the U.S. Viking 1 mission that landed a rover on the planet four decades ago.

A source of enormous national pride, China’s space program plans a total of 20 missions this year at a time when the U.S. and other countries’ programs are seeking new roles.</s>BEIJING (AP) — Two Chinese astronauts began the country’s longest crewed space mission yet on Monday, blasting off on a spacecraft for a 30-day stay on an experimental space station as China steadfastly navigates its way to becoming a space superpower.

Ahead of the launch, one astronaut shouted: “We are ready! Please give instructions!” in front of dozens of people dressed in colorful dress representing China’s ethnic minorities, in footage shown prominently on Chinese TV. The commander-in-chief of the manned space program, Gen. Zhang Youxia, replied: “Proceed!” followed by blaring marching music as the astronauts boarded a bus to take them to the launch pad.

China, Russia and the United States are the only countries that have independently launched humans into space, and while the others have more experience in manned space travel, China’s military-backed program has made methodical progress in comparatively short time.

The launch is China’s sixth manned mission, the previous longest being about two weeks.

For this mission, the astronauts will dock their spacecraft with the Tiangong 2 station within two days, conduct experiments in medicine and space-related technologies, and test systems and processes in preparation for the launching of the station’s core module in 2018. A fully functioning space station is on course to begin operating six years from now and slated to run for at least a decade.

The Shenzhou 11 space capsule blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northern China at 7:30 a.m. (2330 GMT) aboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

Zhang declared the launch a success 16 minutes later. Defense Minister Fan Changlong then read a congratulatory message from President Xi Jinping calling for China’s astronauts to explore space “more deeply and more broadly.”

Since China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, it has staged a spacewalk and landed its Yutu rover on the moon. The Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace,” space stations are considered stepping stones to a mission to send a rover to Mars by the end of the decade. Administrators suggest a crewed landing on the moon may also be in the program’s future.

The Shenzhou 11 astronauts are Jing Haipeng, who is flying his third mission, and 37-year-old Chen Dong.

“It is any astronaut’s dream and pursuit to be able to perform many space missions,” Jing, who turns 50 during his time in space, told a briefing Sunday.

China was excluded from the International Space Station mainly due to U.S. concerns over the Chinese space program’s strongly military character. Chinese officials are now looking to internationalize their own program by offering to help finance other countries’ missions to Tiangong 2, which, at 60 tons when completed, would still be considerably smaller than the 420-ton ISS.

China’s space program also opened a fourth spacecraft launch site at Wenchang on the island province of Hainan in June. It was inaugurated with the launch of the newly developed Long March 7 rocket that was hailed as a breakthrough in the use of safer, more environmentally friendly fuels.

China is developing the Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket needed to launch the Tiangong 2’s additional components and other massive payloads.

A source of enormous national pride, China’s space program plans a total of 20 missions this year at a time when the U.S. and other countries’ programs are seeking new roles.</s>The Shenzhou 11 blasted off on a Long March rocket at 7:30 am (07:30 p.m. EDT) from the remote launch site in Jiuquan, in the Gobi desert, in images carried live on state television.

The astronauts will dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or "Heavenly Palace 2", which was sent into space last month. It will be the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts, state media reported.

Early on Monday, Fan Changlong, a vice chairman of China's powerful Central Military Commission, met astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong and wished them well, state news agency Xinhua reported.

"You are going to travel in space to pursue the space dream of the Chinese nation," Fan said.

"With all the scientific and rigorous training, discreet preparation, and rich experience accumulated from previous missions, you will accomplish the glorious and tough task... We wish you success and look forward to your triumphant return."

Shenzhou 11 is the third space voyage for Jing, who will command the mission and celebrate his 50th birthday in orbit.

In a manned space mission in 2013, three Chinese astronauts spent 15 days in orbit and docked with a space laboratory, the Tiangong 1.

Advancing China's space program is a priority for Beijing, with President Xi Jinping calling for the country to establish itself as a space power.

China insists its space program is for peaceful purposes.

Shenzhou 11, whose name translates as "Divine Vessel", will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space.

The U.S. Defense Department has highlighted China's increasing space capabilities, saying it was pursuing activities aimed at preventing other nations using space-based assets in a crisis.

China has been working to develop its space program for military, commercial and scientific purposes, but is still playing catch-up to established space powers the United States and Russia.

China's Jade Rabbit moon rover landed on the moon in late 2013 to great national fanfare, but soon suffered severe technical difficulties.

The rover and the Chang'e 3 probe that carried it there were the first "soft landing" on the moon since 1976. Both the United States and the Soviet Union had accomplished the feat earlier.

China will launch a "core module" for its first space station some time around 2018, a senior official said in April, part of a plan for a permanent manned space station in service around 2022.</s>The Shenzhou-11 was put into orbit by a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

China on Monday moved a step closer to establish its permanent space station by 2022 as it launched a spacecraft carrying two astronauts, in its longest-ever manned space mission, who would later join its second experimental space lab orbiting the Earth.

Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng, 50, and Chen Dong, 37, were blasted off into space by Shenzhou-11 (heavenly vessel) spacecraft at 7:30 am local time (5 am IST) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre near the Gobi Desert in northern China. The launch was telecasted live by the state-run China Central Television (CCTV).

The Shenzhou-11 was put into orbit by a Long March-2F carrier rocket.

It will dock with orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 in two days and the astronauts will stay in the lab for 30 days, Wu Ping, Deputy Director of China’s manned space engineering office said.

Hours before the lift-off, the two astronauts appeared in good spirits and answered several questions.

“Although the job is challenging, risky and dangerous, there is nothing more I would rather do,” Jing, who is commander of this mission, told reporters on Sunday.

It will be Jing’s third spaceflight following his Shenzhou-7 mission in September 2008 and Shenzhou-9 mission in March 2012.

“(For this mission) we have improved our ability to deal with emergencies, first aid and space experiments,” Jing said.

“I will treasure every moment in space and ensure I record my experience in my diary and enjoy the out-of-this-world scenery,” Chen said.

China, which conducted its first manned space mission in 2003, is putting in billions into its space programme in a bid to catch up with the US and Europe. It also plans to launch its maiden Mars mission in 2020 to match India and others.

China has said its space programme is for peaceful purposes, but it has also tested anti-satellite missiles in addition to its civilian aims.

The Shenzhou-11 spaceship will return to Earth within a day after docking the two astronauts on Tiangong-2 space lab and separating from it, Wu said.

Jing will command the mission to the space lab which was launched last month.

With a safe flight record of 1,500 hours as an air force pilot, Chen became China’s second group of astronauts in May 2010, and was selected as a crew member of the Shenzhou—11 mission in June 2016, Wu said.

This will be his first space mission.

The space lab was launched as part of China’s efforts to set up its own manned space station by 2022, which will make it the only the country to have such a facility in service as the current in-service International Space Station (ISS) retires by 2024.

Other objectives of the manned space mission include aerospace medical experiments, space science experiments and in-orbit maintenance with human participation, as well as other activities, Wu said.

The two astronauts will undertake ultrasound tests during space travel for the first time, cultivate plants in space, and test the three winners of an experiment design competition run in Hong Kong for secondary school students.

Several technical alterations have been made to Shenzhou-11, though its main functions and technical parameters are basically the same as Shenzhou-10, Wu said.

Lei Fanpei, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), recently said China plans to launch the experimental core module of its space station around 2018 with a Long March-5 heavy load carrier rocket, and the 20 ton combination space station will be sent into orbit around 2022.

The space station has a designed life of 10 years in orbit 400 km above the earth surface. With this space station, China will become the second country after Russia to have developed a space station.

China made a three-step strategy in 1992 for its manned space programme, the large-scale manned space station being the last step.</s>(CNN) China's Shenzhou 11 "heavenly vessel" launched Monday (7:30 p.m. Sunday ET) from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert. The launch was shown on state broadcaster CCTV.

This is China's longest-ever crewed space mission. On board are two astronauts -- Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong. They will dock with the Tiangong-2 space lab, which was launched last month.

Jing and Chen will remain in space for a total of 33 days, with 30 of those spent conducting experiments related to medicine, physics and biology in the space lab.

Since October 2003, China has completed five manned space flight missions -- the last one took place in 2013 and lasted 15 days.

China's Shenzhou 11 spaceship onboard a Long March-2F carrier rocket takes off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu province on Monday Oct. 17, 2016.

The Tiangong-2, and its predecessor Tiangong-1, are prototypes for China's ultimate goal -- a permanent 20-ton space station, which is expected to be sent into orbit in 2022.

China aims to send its space station into orbit two years before the International Space Station (ISS) retires in 2024, according to state news agency Xinhua.

"Tiangong is a precursor testbed of capabilities, building toward the large space station has always been the culminating goal of the Shenzhou program," said Joan Johnson-Freese, a professor at the Naval War College specializing in space programs and space security.

However, Wu Ping, deputy director of the manned space engineering office, played down any chance of damage.

"Based on our calculation and analysis, most parts of the space lab will burn up during falling," she said in a press conference last mont h, adding that it was unlikely to affect aviation activities or cause damage to the ground.

Once the ISS goes out of service, China potentially will be the only country with a permanent space presence.

European astronauts are said to already be learning Chinese in anticipation but unless there is a change in US policy, American astronauts are unlikely to be involved.

Since 2011, the US Congress has barred NASA from contact with China's space program because of national security concerns.

"Chinese politicians certainly have wanted to work with the United States in space, to show they are an accepted part of the international family of space-faring nations, but with their own space station forthcoming and international partners other than the US willing and lining up to work with them, that imperative decreases," Johnson-Freese said.

China was late to the space race -- it didn't send its first satellite into space until 1970 -- just after the United States put the first man on the moon.

"If the US does not change its policies very soon and begin to work with China in space, it will lose whatever leverage it might have in shaping Chinese space plans for the future, " Johnson-Freese said.</s>China will launch a two-man space mission on Monday, officials said, boldly taking the country one step closer to its goal of setting up a permanent manned space station by 2022.

The spaceship Shenzhou 11, whose name translates as Divine Vessel, will transport two male astronauts into space, the deputy director of the manned space engineering office, Wu Ping, told a news conference at the Jiuquan satellite launch centre, quoted by Xinhua news agency.

A Long March-2F carrier rocket will blast off from the launch site in the remote northwestern province of Gansu. The spacecraft will dock with the orbiting Tiangong 2 space laboratory within two days. The astronauts will stay in the space lab for 30 days conducting experiments, said Ms Wu.

Tiangong 2, or “Heavenly Palace 2”, which launched on September 15th, was in “good condition”, with all systems and equipment operating as expected, she said.

The mission aims to transport personnel and materials between Earth and Tiangong 2, and examine rendezvous, docking and return procedures. If China succeeds in its plan to operate a permanent space station by 2022, it will become the world’s third country to do so.

Among the experiments to be conducted by the two taikonauts, as Chinese astronauts are known, are the first ultrasound tests during space travel, cultivating plants in space, and testing the three winners of an experiment design competition run in Hong Kong for secondary school students, including taking silkworms into space.

President Xi Jinping has urged China to establish itself as a space power, and success in space is a powerful symbol of China’s rising power, of its improving technical expertise, and of the Communist Party’s progress.

In 2003, Yang Liwei became China’s first man in space, orbiting the Earth on China’s maiden manned space flight, Shenzhou 5. During this flight, he shattered the myth that you could see the Great Wall of China from space.

China says its space programme is primarily for peaceful purposes, but like other countries it has also tested anti-satellite missiles.

Leading the mission will be Jing Haipeng, who is making his third space flight after missions in 2008 and 2012. He will celebrate his 50th birthday in orbit on October 24th.

“For this mission, we have improved our ability to deal with emergencies, first aid and space experiments,” Mr Jing told reporters.

During the mission, the spacecraft will form a module that, when docked with Tiangong 2, will create a complex. The feasibility of the space complex to support astronauts’ life, work and flight missions will be tested throughout the mission, Ms Wu said.

Chen Dong (38), the junior astronaut on the mission, said the mission involved multitasking and many responsibilities.

“First of all, I’m a pilot,” Mr Chen said. “But my role will also see me being an engineer, a scientist, a cleaner and a farmer.”</s>China successfully launched the two-man spacecraft Shenzhou 11 into orbit on Monday, where it will dock with the space lab Tiangong 2, marking a milestone in the country’s ambition of setting up a permanent manned space station by 2022.

About 19 minutes after the 7.30am blast-off at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert in Gansu province, the mission was declared a success by Zhang Youxia, commander-in-chief of China’s manned space programme.

The “taikonauts”, as they are called in China, will dock with the Tiangong 2 space laboratory, or “Heavenly Palace 2”, which was sent into space last month.At 30 days, it will be the longest stay in space by Chinese astronauts, the Xinhua news agency reported.

China’s enthusiasm for space travel is boundless, and the country has made little secret of its desire to send manned missions to the Moon and to Mars. It is only the third country after Russia and the US to carry out manned missions in space, and it plans to launch at least 20 space missions this year.

China was excluded from the International Space Station because of concerns over the military aspects of its space programme.

Among the experiments the crew will carry out in orbit will be growing plants in space and performing ultrasound tests. They will also carry three experiments designed by Hong Kong middle school students and selected in a science competition, including one that will take silk worms into space.

There was widespread enthusiasm for the programme. In one gym on Beijing’s Jianguomenwai Street, people stopped to watch footage of the spacecraft being launched atop a Long March 2F rocket, largely enthused by the fact that one of the astronauts, commander Jing Haipeng, was on his third mission and would celebrate his 50th birthday in orbit.

The other taikonaut, Chen Dong (38), is on his first space mission.

Before taking off, the taikonauts met Fan Changlong, who is vice-chair of the Central Military Commission. He wished them well and said they were “pursuing the space dream of the Chinese nation”.

President Xi Jinping sent a message from a meeting of the Brics countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa taking place in Goa in India, urging the mission to “constantly break new ground for the manned space programme, so that Chinese people will take bigger steps and march further in space probe, to make new contribution to the building of China into a space power”.

On the Weibo social network, the responses from web commentators were generally fulsome.

“I wanna cry, I am so proud of my country and it will be stronger,” wrote Flower of Sunshine, while You Renhe said: “I wish they can return safely in 33 days, they are great and they are heroes!”. Another called Two Worms said : “This is so inspirational.”

However, others felt the annual €2 billion spent on the space programme should go on other more worthy causes.

“If you can spend it on health, medical care and children’s education and making sure that every family has a place to live, that’s worth more than going into space,” ran one posting by someone called Laotianyan.
China launches Shenzhou 11, the country's sixth manned spaceflight mission and the first one to the Tiangong-2 space laboratory, with two taikonauts on a 30-day mission.