Three Chinese astronauts were in quarantine Monday — not because of the coronavirus, but because of a recent space mission. On Friday they touched down in a desert in Mongolia, wrapping up a three-month mission.
China’s latest astronaut mission was in space three times longer than any of its previous space travel.
And there are plans for an even longer stay next time — as the country moves ahead with a broader space program.
China is in the process of putting together a space station. The first of three modules is now in place — about the size of a city bus — that’s where the crew spent the last 90 days.
The government wants to finish it by the end of next year.
The final facility will be about 20% the size of the International Space Station — a joint program involving the United States, Russia, Japan, Europe and Canada.
The International Space Station started to be assembled in 1998 — and last November celebrated 20 years of continuous human presence on board.
China is calling its space station “Tiangong” — or “Heavenly Palace.”
The country’s next crewed mission is expected to launch in about a month, with plans to keep the astronauts aboard until next spring.
At one point last week, the Chinese astronauts, a space station crew and the civilian crew of the latest SpaceX mission were all simultaneously aloft — setting a new record — with 14 people in space at the same time.
