Science News Roundup: China launches crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 in historic mission; China launches crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 in the historic mission and more

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China launches crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12 in historic mission

China launched a spacecraft on Thursday carrying three astronauts to part of a space station still under construction for the longest stay in low Earth orbit by any Chinese national.

A Long March 2F rocket transporting the Shenzhou-12, or "Divine Vessel", bound for the space station module Tianhe blasted off at 9:22 a.m. Beijing time (0122 GMT) from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern Gansu province.

Pioneering space reproduction research yields healthy baby mice

Trail-blazing space reproduction research that yielded healthy baby mice produced using freeze-dried sperm stored for years in orbit is showing the possibilities of procreation beyond Earth, with future implications for humans exploring the cosmos. Scientists said they produced 168 offspring using mouse sperm cells that were stored aboard the International Space Station (ISS) for five years and 10 months and then rehydrated back on Earth, injected into unfertilized egg cells, and transferred into female mice at a Japanese laboratory.

Major milestones in Chinese space exploration

China launched a spacecraft on Thursday carrying three astronauts to the main module of the country's space station, its first crewed mission in nearly five years. China's first full-fledged space station is still under construction. When completed, it will be the only rival to the International Space Station (ISS) backed by the United States, Japan, and Russia. China has never participated in the ISS.

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