https://apnews.com/6b3e5807326c47060e2d0acc3404d5af

BEIJING (AP) — China launched a newly designed spacecraft on Tuesday as part of its program to build an orbiting space station, furthering its aspirations to rival the U.S., Russia and private companies in outer space exploration.

The official Xinhua News Agency said the unmanned spacecraft and its return capsule were flung into space aboard a Long March 5B rocket in its debut flight Tuesday evening from the Wenchang launch center in the southern island province of Hainan.