China launches next-gen crew capsule for demo flight via new Long March 5B rocket
https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/05/china-launches-next-gen-crew-capsule-for-demo-flight-via-new-long-march-5b-rocket/
China has launched a demonstration mission of its next-generation crew spacecraft, using the Long March 5B rocket. This is the first launch for that new rocket, an iteration of China’s Long March launcher that will also be used to take up the sections and components of the country’s forthcoming national orbital space station.
This launch flew the crew spacecraft without anyone on board, taking off from Wengchang in China, which is the country’s newest spacecraft launch site. The Long March 5B is a ten engine rocket, including four strapped on boosters that increase its lift capabilities, and represents the nation’s most powerful launch vehicle to date. It lacks a second stage, and is specifically designed for bringing big payloads to low Earth orbit – which is exactly what’s needed for assembling the space station China plans to establish there by 2022.