The Long March 2F rocket was sent into low Earth orbit from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, said the report

US space agency NASA said Beijing had not shared the "specific trajectory information" needed to know where possible debris might fall

The rocket's entire main-core stage has reached low orbit and is expected to tumble back toward Earth once atmospheric friction drags it downward, possibly on Sunday

At least 21 tonnes of debris may fall into low orbit, said Astronomer Jonathon McDowell, which means an uncontrolled plummet back down to Earth in an unpredictable location

China researchers say putting weapons on the Moon would protect people from asteroids and a fate similar to dinosaurs 65 million years ago, but NASA fears that China has other reasons for its plan

The Long March-5B Y3 rocket will carry the laboratory module, which will include robotic arm, large solar panels and an airlock to Tiangong

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, or JAXA, launched the S-520-RD rocket at 5am Tokyo time from southwestern Japan

It was the 32nd launch of 2022 and the intense activity is due to the company's race to build a constellation of Starlink broadband satellites

Astronauts say that current space nappies are "too thick and cause a strong sense of pressure on the underside" according to a Chinese space research journal

The new images reveal things scientists have never seen before in what NASA calls 'dawn of new era in astronomy'

A NASA official has come under fire for saying China plans to claim the Moon as its own and wants to militarise space

Musk previously said that vehicles Starlink was expected to be used with were aircraft, ships, large trucks and recreation vehicles such as motorhomes