China on Thursday launched its first human spaceflight in five years, moving a step closer to completing a Chinese space station and increasing its clout in the neighborhood of the Earth.

Three astronauts were on board as the Shenzhou-12 spacecraft, attached to the Long March 2F rocket, was launched at 9:22 a.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. The spacecraft docked seven hours later at Tianhe, the core module of Chinese space station Tiangong, whose name means “Heavenly Palace.”

Tiangong is under construction in a low-Earth orbit and is due to be completed by the end of 2022. It will be the only alternative to the United States-led International Space Station in near-Earth space. If the ISS is retired in 2024, China will become the only nation with an active space station, potentially increasing its power to shape future regulations for near-Earth space, a region with a lot of satellites.

The mission is sending the trio of astronauts, Nie Haisheng, 56, Liu Boming, 54, and Tang Hongbo, 45, to live in Tianhe for three months, the longest that any Chinese national will remain in low-Earth orbit. They will be testing out technologies on Tianhe, including its life-support system. The attempt is the first crewed mission and third launch of a total of 11 planned for Tiangong’s construction, according to state media.

As the Shenzhou-12 rose into the air, a camera installed within caught first-timer Tang frequently looking outside the window, and when the spacecraft entered weightless territory, he let go of a pen in his hand and watched it float around. Nie, who had made two previous trips into space, waved smilingly at the camera. Everything on board was reported to be functioning well.

All of them are heading for a busy three-month stint. The astronauts would test, verify and operate Tianhe and its systems; test spacesuits and perform spacewalks outside the core module; monitor their health; and test processes for replenishing resources and making repairs at Tiangong, said Ji Qiming, assistant director of the China Manned Space Agency.

Ji added that on the journey home, the spacecraft would land in the Gobi Desert, a first land descent attempt. The agency is equipped to send an emergency spacecraft within 10 days should issues arise with the Shenzhou-12 or Tianhe in the next few months.

Vice Premiers Han Zheng and Liu He, together with People’s Liberation Army general Zhang Youxia, were among top officials watching the takeoff from a control center in Beijing, while air force general Xu Qiliang was present at the Jiuquan center in the desert.

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