NASA Administrator Bill Nelson congratulated China on the successful launch of the Shenzhou-12 manned spaceship on Thursday.

The crewed spacecraft Shenzhou-12, atop a Long March-2F carrier rocket, is launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China's Gobi Desert, June 17, 2021. (Photo: Xinhua)

"Congratulations to China on the successful launch of crew to their space station! I look forward to the scientific discoveries to come,” Nelson said in the statement.