China's Space Ambitions Soar with New Crew and Plans for Moon Landing.
China launched a new three-person crew, including its first civilian astronaut, for its orbiting space station with plans to put astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. The crew will stay aboard the station for around five months, during which they will conduct scientific experiments and regular maintenance. China built its own space station after being excluded from the International Space Station due to US concerns over its military ties. The mission comes amid a friendly rivalry with the US for reaching new milestones in space, with both countries having their own lunar programs and separately landing rovers on Mars.