China's Shenzhou-12 spaceship moved to launch pad for manned mission

China's Long March-2F Y12 rocket, carrying Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for manned space mission, arrives at the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China, June 9, 2021. Wang Jiangbo/CGTN

China's Long March-2F Y12 rocket, carrying the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for manned space mission, was transferred to the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Wednesday, according to China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).

Three astronauts will board the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft later this month and fly to Tianhe, core module of China's space station.

The facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition, while various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, the CMSEO said.

The astronauts will stay in space for three months, during which they will conduct a range of tasks such as repair and maintenance, according to CMSEO DirectorYang Liwei.

China's Long March-2F Y12 rocket, carrying Shenzhou-12 spacecraft for manned space mission, is being moved to the launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, northwest China, June 9, 2021. Wang Jiangbo/CGTN

The launch of the Shenzhou-12 crewed vessel will be the third of the 11 missions planned by China to complete the construction of its space station by the end of 2022. The 11 missions comprise three launches of the core module and two lab capsules of the space station, four cargo vessel flights and four manned missions.

So far, the first two missions have been completed. The Tianhe core module was sent into orbit on April 29, and the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft was launched on May 29, which docked with Tianhe about eight hours after takeoff.