World News: China Embarks On It's Longest Crewed Space Expedition in Chinese History

Sunday 7:30 ET China launched the Shenzhoul 11 (heavenly vessel). The mission of this vessel is to dock on the Tiangong-2 space lab, where the astronauts will conduct various experiments regarding medicine, physics, biology and many more. The mission in it's entirety is 33 days, however 30 of those days the astronauts will be aboard the space lab. This being the longest time in Chinese history with astronauts in space. There are two astronauts on the Shenzhoul 11, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong. The Shenzhoul launched from the Jiuquan Satelite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert.

The Tiangong-2 is the second space lab to launch last month from China into space. It follows the Tiangong-1 previously released, however the Tiangong-1 is expected to fall into Earth's orbit by 2017. Critics have speculated that China lost control of the first space lab and need to release another. Although Wu Ping, the director for the manned space engineering office in the Chinese ISS, has stated that most of the parts from the Tiangong -1 will burn up before reaching the ground. It is believed the Tiangong-1 will cause no damage with return.

Both the Tiangong-1 and the Tiangong-2 are both prototypes for China's overall goal. Which is to release a 20 ton space station as early as 2022, which will remain in space permanently.