China will conduct its first space docking test within two days after launching the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft, a spokesperson with China's manned space program said Wednesday.

China is preparing to launch the Tiangong-1 on Thursday evening as an unmanned space module awaiting space dockings with the Shenzhou-8, -9 and -10 spacecrafts one after another in the next two years.

The Shenzhou-8 spacecraft is scheduled for launch about one month after the Tiangong-1 successfully enters its low Earth orbit.

The first space docking for China will be conducted when the Tiangong-1 drops from a 350-kilometer-high orbit to a 343-kilometer-high orbit to rendezvous with the Shenzhou-8, spokeswoman Wu Ping said at a press conference held in northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 will fly for about 12 days after the first docking, and will conduct another docking test at an appropriate time in flight, Wu said.0 After the two docking tests, the Shenzhou-8 will return to Earth's surface and the Tiangong-1 will rise to its original orbit to wait for the next docking test, the spokesperson said.

The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1, with a length of 10.4 meters and maximum diameter of 3.35 meters, is scheduled to be launched by the Long March-2FT1 carrier rocket between 9:16 p.m. and 9:31 p.m., Beijing Time, on Thursday.

The space docking tests and experiments conducted through the Tiangong-1 module will provide experience for China's construction of a permanent manned space station around 2020, Wu said.

According to China's manned space program, the Shenzhou-10 will be a manned spacecraft carrying a Chinese astronaut who will test manual space rendezvous and docking with the Tiangong-1.

The spokesperson said the astronaut for the Shenzhou-10 mission has been selected and is in training.

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