China sent three astronauts to its Tiangong space station on Tuesday, putting a civilian into orbit for the first time as it pursues plans to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030.
According to estimates, the demand for high-speed internet delivered from space has made launching satellites into orbit a lucrative business. The space economy is projected to grow to $600 billion from $447 billion in 2020 by 2025.
China plans to build its first base on the moon by 2028, ahead of landing astronauts there in subsequent years as the country steps up its challenge to NASA's dominance in space exploration.