China launches manned space mission
China launches manned space mission Updated: 08:42, Tuesday March 5, 2013 China will send three astronauts to its orbiting space station this northern summer in a mission that's part of preparations to establish an even larger permanent presence above Earth.
China early Tuesday has successfully launched unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8, announced Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Chang Wanquan.The spacecraft was successfully sent into the designated orbit after the blastoff at 5:58 am at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern desert area, carried by an upgraded Long March-2F rocket, reports Xinhua news.It is heading to rendezvous with the Tiangong-1, or ``Heavenly Palace-1'' that was put into space on Sept. 29 for the country's first space docking.