9 June 2012 Last updated at 04:12 ET <\/p>\n
China has announced it will carry out a manned space flight at some point in the middle of June. <\/p>\n
A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft has been moved to a launch pad in the north-west of the country. <\/p>\n
According to state news agency Xinhua, it will carry three astronauts - possibly including a woman - to the Tiangong 1 space station module. <\/p>\n
This will be China's fourth manned space flight and its first since 2008. <\/p>\n
It became only the third country to independently send a man into space in 2003. <\/p>\n
Last year, China completed a complicated space docking manoeuvre when an unmanned craft docked with the Tiangong 1, or \"Heavenly Body\", by remote control. <\/p>\n
The astronauts onboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will also dock with the Tiangong 1 - an experimental module currently orbiting Earth - and carry out scientific experiments on board. <\/p>\n
Xinhua reported that Niu Hongguang, deputy commander-in-chief of China's manned space programme, said the crew \"might include female astronauts\". <\/p>\n
The mission is part of China's programme to develop a full orbiting space station. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
See the original post:<\/p>\n
China in new manned space flight<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 9 June 2012 Last updated at 04:12 ET China has announced it will carry out a manned space flight at some point in the middle of June. A rocket carrying the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft has been moved to a launch pad in the north-west of the country Continue reading