China's Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship ready for launch

The combination of the Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket is transferred to the launching area in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, May 22, 2023. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)

JIUQUAN, May 28 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou-16 crewed spaceship is ready for launch after it completed a final pre-launch rehearsal at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Sunday.

The vessel, along with its carrier rocket, and all systems and preparations at the launch center are ready for the launch, said the launch center.

Various inspections of the rocket and the spacecraft and pre-launch rehearsals have been conducted since the combination of the spaceship and a Long March-2F carrier rocket transferred to the launching area, said He Pengju, a senior engineer at the launch center.

He added that the preparations include sealing facilities on the launch tower to prevent sand and rainwater from entering the rocket. It is in accordance with the sandy environment of the Gobi Desert, where the launch center is located.