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China to launch crewed Shenzhou-14 spacecraft to orbital outpost on June 5

The spacecraft will blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China using the Long March-2F carrier rocket

BEIJING, June 4. /TASS/. The launch of the crewed Shenzhou-14 spacecraft to China’s orbital outpost will take place on June 5, Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency, said at a news conference on Saturday.

"The Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship will be launched at around 10:44 am Beijing Time (05:44 in Moscow - TASS) on June 5," he said, according to a broadcast of the conference by China’s Central Television.

The spacecraft will blast off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China using the Long March-2F carrier rocket. The crew will spend six months in orbit before returning to Earth in December.

The Chinese station flies at the altitude of about 400 kilometers and will stay in orbit for more than 10 years. It’s designed for three people.

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