SHANGHAI -- China successfully launched a rocket on Thursday carrying the core capsule for the construction of the country's maiden space station, a mission that shows the country's progress toward greater technological independence.
The Long March-5B Y2 rocket left its launchpad in the southern province of Hainan shortly after 11:22 a.m. local time, according to the China National Space Administration, with the core capsule Tianhe, or Harmony of Heavens.
