This step marks the first rotation of two crews in orbit in the history of Chinese space, to start the operation of the Chinese space station, which is the second inhabited site in Earth orbit after the International Space Station led by the US Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

The Shenzhou-15 spacecraft carrying three astronauts, aboard a Long March-2F rocket, took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Tuesday in northwest China's Gobi Desert, according to state television.

Shenzhou-15 is the last of 11 missions, including 3 previous manned missions, that were needed to assemble the "Heavenly Palace," as the multi-module station is known in Chinese. The first mission was launched in April 2021.

The spacecraft docked with the station more than 6 hours after launch, and the three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-15 were greeted with a warm hug by the former Shenzhou crew from whom they will take over

The Shenzhou-14 crew, which arrived in early June, will return to Earth after a week-long delivery, which will confirm the station's temporary capacity for 6 astronauts, another record for China's space program.

The Shenzhou-15 mission provided the country with a rare moment of celebration at a time when there is widespread discontent over China's "zero COVID" policies and its economy slumps amid uncertainty at home and abroad.

The Heavenly Palace is the culmination of nearly two decades of Chinese manned space missions. China's manned spaceflight began in 2003 when a former fighter pilot, Yang Liwei, was sent into orbit in a small capsule, Shenzhou-5, and became the first Chinese in space