JIUQUAN (China) -China launched a rocket on Saturday carrying three Chinese astronauts to the core module for a futur space station. They will stay and work there for six months. This is the longest time that Chinese astronauts have been in orbit.

Long March-2F rocket carrying Shenzhou-13 spacecraft was launched at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu’s northwestern province. It was launched on Friday, 1623 GMT.

China launched Tianhe, the first of the three space stations’ modules and began construction in April. Tianhe, which is slightly larger than a bus in a city, will serve as the space station’s living quarters.

Shenzhou-13 represents the second in a series of four missions that will be required to bring the space station up to its full potential by 2022. Three other astronauts spent 90 days on Tianhe during the September crewed missions.

The latest mission will see astronauts test the robotics and key technologies on Tianhe required to build the space station. They also verify the onboard life support system and perform a variety of scientific experiments.

Zhai Zhigang (55) is the commander of this mission. Zhigang was part China’s original batch of astronaut training students in late 1990s China.

Zhai, the youngest of six children from a rural family, was one of China’s first astronauts. He did this in 2008 after completing China’s very first spacewalk. Shenzhou-13, his second mission to space was also his.

Zhai, speaking at a press conference Thursday said that “the most difficult task will be to the long-term stay within orbit for six month.” It will demand higher demands of us, both psychologically and physically.

Zhai was joined by Wang Yaping (41), and Ye Guangfu (41).

Wang was the five-year-old mother of Zhai, and she was raised in a rural home.

The former pilot of the air force was well-known for her perseverance and first traveled to space in 2013. She visited Tiangong-1 which is a protospace lab.

China sent only two astronauts from China to the International Space Station so far. Liu Yang was the first female astronaut to space in 2012

Ye.’s first mission to space was Shenzhou-13.

China will launch six further missions following the April 2013 return of Shenzhou-13’s crew to Earth. This includes the deliveries of two more space station modules, and two crewed missions.

China has been unable to work with NASA, and by extension the International Space Station (ISS) since the United States banned it. However, China spent the last decade developing technology for its station.

China’s station will take over Earth’s orbit as the sole one after the ISS is retired in a few decades.

China’s Space Program has advanced since Mao Zedong (the late leader) lamented that China couldn’t even launch a potato to space.

China, following the United States, became the third country that put man into space by building its own rocket in October 2003.