China delivers Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft to launchpad

China's Shenzhou-13 manned spacecraft, which is set to fly astronauts to the national Tiangong orbital station, and the Long March 2F carrier rocket have been delivered to the Jiuquan spaceport in the northwest, the China Manned Space Program said on Thursday.

All infrastructure is in good condition, with all systems being prepared for the launch, the space agency added.

Shenzhou-13 will fly three Chinese astronauts - the lineup is yet to be announced - to the Tianhe core module of the national space station, where they are expected to stay for at least 180 days, twice as long as the previous crew. The date of the launch is not specified.

China expects to finish assembling its first space station in lower Earth orbit by 2022. The country has planned several missions, both cargo ship and crewed ones, in 2021 and 2022 to complete the construction. (ANI/Sputnik)

( With inputs from ANI )