A Long March 2F rocket, topped with the Shenzhou 20 crew spacecraft, was rolled out to its launch pad at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday (April 16), according to Chinese state media.
The 203-foot-long (62 meters) rocket was transferred vertically by rail, taking it 0.93 miles (1.5 kilometers) from the integration building to the pad, over the course of around two hours.
The rocket-spacecraft combo will now go through final checks and tests in preparation for launch, which will send three astronauts to the nation's Tiangong space station.
China has not stated when the mission will launch, instead stating that the spacecraft is set to be launched at an appropriate time in the coming days.
The identity of the three-person Shenzhou 20 crew, who will spend around six months aboard the Tiangong space station, also remains a secret. The crew are typically revealed a day ahead of launch at a pre-launch press conference at Jiuquan. Livestreams of the launch will be announced closer to liftoff.
Source: www.space.com
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