The spaceship, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 9:31 a.m. (Beijing Time), according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the
news agency added.
About 10 minutes after the launch, Shenzhou-16 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. The crew members, consisting of Jing Haipeng, Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao, are in good shape and the launch is a complete success, the CMSA said.
After entering orbit, the Shenzhou-16 spaceship will make a fast, automated rendezvous and docking with the space station combination, Xinhua added.
