The combination of the Shenzhou-19 manned spaceship and a Long March-2F Y19 carrier rocket has been transferred to the launching area at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China on Tuesday afternoon.
At 16:00, the combination was lifted from the assembly and test facility and smoothly transported via a vertical transfer method to the launching site. The entire transfer process covered a distance of 1.5 kilometers and took approximately two hours.
The spacecraft and rocket combination weighs over 40 tons and stands nearly 60 meters tall.
The completion of this vertical transport signifies that the rocket has officially entered the final phase of launch preparations.
Subsequent activities will include a series of function checks and joint tests, with a launch expected to take place later this month.
Gao Minzhong, a senior engineer with the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, highlighted the emphasis on safety and precision during the transport.
"We have optimized the control of positioning accuracy upon the combination's arrival at the destination and prepared multiple backup plans to guarantee a reliable and foolproof transfer," Gao said.
China is scheduled to launch the Shenzhou-19 crewed spaceship and welcome the Shenzhou-18 crew back to the Earth in late October, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
The three-member Shenzhou-18 crew was sent into space on April 25.
Shenzhou-19 spaceship, carrier rocket combination transferred to launch pad
There will be a workable solution to settle the Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) tariff disputes satisfactory to both China and Europe, said Christian Ach, CEO of BMW Group Sales for the German market.
Earlier this month, Germany carmaker BMW urged Germany to vote against the additional high tariffs on Chinese EVs, the latest move by a key industry representative within the EU standing up to oppose the decision made by the European Commission, citing concerns for an escalating trade dispute.
In a recent interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Ach suggests that the European Commission may have been influenced by major car manufacturers due to their substantial business interests in China.
"I think the European Commission was listening to the car manufacturers because it's a big industry in Europe and especially in Germany. We are, I think, most affected because Audi, Mercedes Benz, Porsche located in Germany and that they export all of China. It's huge and it's good for us. CEOs from the big companies were always in contact with the European Commission. Maybe not enough. Because otherwise the result would be a different book," said Christian Ach CEO of BMW Group Sales for the German market.
As China and EU will continue to hold consultations regarding the EU's anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese EVs, Ach expressed confidence in the eventual outcome, believing that a favorable resolution benefiting both China and Europe.
"It's difficult to talk about now about this topic because there are still discussions up and running. And I think the final result, we will get the final result we saw. It's not the final result, OK, there are still discussions and I'm very optimistic and positive that we will get a good solution for both sides, for the Chinese towards Europe and for the Europe towards China," he said.
BMW CEO urges workable solution to settle Chinese EVs tariff disputes
