Successful start to China’s fifth human spaceflight
Three Chinese astronauts, led by a veteran of a previous space mission, soared into orbit Tuesday to begin a 15-day voyage to China’s Tiangong 1 space lab, a flight officials say will expand the capabilities of the country’s manned space program.
The 191-foot-tall Long March 2F rocket, powered by 1.4 million pounds of thrust, lifted off at 0938 GMT (5:38 a.m. EDT; 5:38 p.m. Beijing time) from the Jiuquan space base in northwest China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region.
Less than 10 minutes later, after a dazzling launch broadcast on Chinese state television, the 8.5-ton Shenzhou 10 capsule arrived in orbit. A few moments later, the spacecraft extended its two solar array wings to generate electricity.
These images were taken from the official CCTV broadcast of the launch, showing views from cameras from both the ground and on-board the rocket. The images show liftoff, separation of the launcher’s emergency escape tower, jettison of the Long March’s first stage and four liquid-fueled boosters, and deployment of the solar arrays.Photo credit: CCTV/Spaceflight Now
Exploring Japan’s Modern Ruins with @neji_maki_dori
For more photos from abandoned sites around Japan, be sure to follow @neji_maki_dori on Instagram.
Tokyo-based Instagrammer @neji_maki_dori has been exploring abandoned buildings in Japan ever since his first visit to the ruins of a sulfer mine in 2006. “The overwhelming scale, inorganic and deserted feel, moldy smell and excitement were all very refreshing and inspiring to me at the time,” he says. “I’ve been captivated by ruins ever since.”
@neji_maki_dori sources locations from printed materials about abandoned sites and the collective knowledge base of his fellow explorers. From mines and towers to apartment blocks and even a larger-than-life building in the shape of a cow, his adventures take his followers through some of Japan’s most forgotten places.
