China states new rocket brings space station plans closer

China states its plan for a long-term space station remain on track with the effective launch of its brand-new heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket.

The rocket that launched Thursday night from the Wenchang launch center on the southern island of Hainan will be utilized to introduce the Tiangong 2 spaceport station’s extra elements and other enormous payloads.

China released the Tiangong 2 spaceport station precursor facility back in September and sent up 2 astronauts in the middle of last month to live aboard it for a month.

The Long March 5 is China’s biggest rocket, efficient in carrying 25 tons of payload into low-earth orbit and 14 tons to the more distant geostationary transfer orbit. That is more than two times the carrying capability of China’s earlier Long March rockets.