China set to continue shooting for the stars

It was midnight in mid-October, but Chen Min, who lives in a village near the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan province, was still up and about. The vendor in her 20s was earning extra money by selling snacks to visitors who had arrived to watch a rocket launch.

"I make a living by farming, but whenever there is a space launch, I come here to make more money," she said.

Chen and a few other villagers started selling snacks part time six years ago. They said the opportunities have come more frequently recently. "I've seen so many rocket launches that I've lost count of the total number," she said.