New manned spacecraft reaches launch center
BEIJING - China's new manned spacecraft Shenzhou-X, scheduled to blast off in early June this year, was delivered to the launch center in Jiuquan, Gansu province, on Sunday after passing pre-delivery tests, China's manned space program announced.
The rocket which will carry it is undergoing various pre-delivery preparations.
Shenzhou-X will operate both automated and manual space docking with target orbiter Tiangong-I, conducting scientific experiments in the lab module and giving science lectures to spectators on Earth.
Tiangong-I was sent into space in September 2011. It docked with the Shenzhou-VIII unmanned spacecraft in November 2011 and the manned Shenzhou-IX in June last year, verifying China's space docking capabilities.
China's manned space program said Tiangong-I is operating in good shape, and is capable of the mission.
