China launches 3-member crew to its space station as it seeks to put astronauts on the moon by 2030

By ANDY WONG and SIMINA MISTREANU
Associated Press

JIUQUAN SATELLITE LAUNCH CENTER, China (AP) — China launched a three-member crew to its orbiting space station as part of its ambitious program that aims to put astronauts on the moon by 2030. The Shenzhou-18 spacecraft lifted off Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China atop a Long March 2-F rocket. The spacecraft’s three-member crew will relieve the Shenzhou-17 team which has been manning China’s Tiangong space station since last October.