China's space tracking ship sails for Indian Ocean missions

China's tracking vessel Yuanwang-6 departed Tuesday from its homeport in east China's Jiangsu Province for a new round of monitoring missions in the Indian Ocean.

Yuanwang-6 returned to its homeport on Dec. 9 after completing three satellite monitoring missions.

Before departure, the ship's personnel completed vessel examination and maintenance, ensuring all systems and facilities aboard Yuanwang-6 were in good working order.

As China's third-generation space-tracking ship, Yuanwang-6 has taken part in 73 maritime monitoring and control missions, including China's Shenzhou manned spaceship missions.