China: 3 astronauts blast off to complete space station assembly

China on Sunday launched three astronauts into space as a part of its mission to complete assembly work on its permanent orbiting space station. 

The Shenzhou 14 crew blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi Desert at 10:44 a.m. (02:44 GMT). The three astronauts will spend six months on the Tiangong station, which translates to “heavenly palace.”

The space station is expected to be complete by the end of the year, a major feat for China’s…