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China's manned spacecraft delivered to launch center

China.org.cn, April 10, 2012

• China's manned spacecraft, Shenzhou-9, was delivered to a satellite lunch center in northwest China on April 9, 2012.

  Artistic rendering of the docking of Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and Tiangong-1 space lab [File photo]

   

  According to a spokesman of China's manned space program, the assembly of the Shenzhou-9 and its associate vehicles was complete, but its carrier rocket, the Long March-2F, was undergoing tests and had not been delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

  China plans to send three astronauts into space sometime between June and August this year. Three astronauts will board the spacecraft to dock with Tiangong-1, an orbiting space lab.

  Tiangong-1 blasted off on September 2011. After completing China's first space docking mission with the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft in early November, it went into long-term operation in space awaiting docking attempts of Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10.

   

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