The Chinese Tiangong space station, which translates to Heavenly Palace, has put China at the forefront of space innovation

China was making final preparations for the launch on Thursday of a three-person replacement crew for its orbiting space station that will mark a further step toward a possible crewed mission to the Moon and exploration of Mars.

China's Shenzhou-20 mission successfully launched three astronauts to the country's orbiting space station for a six-month mission, marking a significant milestone in its manned space programme.