The previous crew of China’s orbiting space station returned to earth Tuesday morning, all reportedly in good health, amid a sharpening rivalry with the U.S. over space exploration and plans to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP)Three Chinese astronauts returned to Earth on Tuesday morning after six months aboard China’s orbiting space station. The station is essentially complete, so the new crew will conduct medical and scientific experiments and maintain equipment. China made its first crewed space mission in 2003 and plans to put astronauts on the moon before 2030. China built its own space station after it was excluded from the International Space Station, largely due to U.S. concerns over Chinese military control over the national space program.

Source: The Standard October 31, 2023 16:10 UTC