China's space tracking ship sails for monitoring missions

BEIJING -- China's space tracking ship Yuanwang-3 set sail for monitoring missions from its home port on Monday morning, according to China Science Daily.

The vessel has prepared for the new missions as the technicians have completed the overhaul and test of shipborne tracking and monitoring equipment and carried out operation drills.

In 2022, Yuanwang-3 sailed for more than 70 days and completed three missions, including tracking and monitoring the launch of the Shenzhou-14 crewed spaceship. It has also become the first ship of China's Yuanwang fleet to embrace its 100th mission.

The ship is a second-generation Chinese space tracking ship. It mainly carries out maritime tracking, monitoring, and communication missions for satellites, spacecraft, and space stations.

It has undertaken more than 100 maritime tracking and monitoring missions, including Shenzhou spaceships, Chang'e lunar probes, and BeiDou satellites.