BEIJING -- This week's launch of a fresh crew to China's Tiangong space station marked another milestone in the country's march toward becoming a power in space, even as age and internal conflict hamper its Western counterpart, the International Space Station.
The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft docked with Tiangong on Wednesday morning for the first crew rotation at the station, with the three newly arrived astronauts switching off with the three who came up in June on the Shenzhou-14. The new crew will stay on the orbiting platform for half a year, conducting medical and other scientific research.
