Photo taken on June 3, 2013 shows the assembly of the Shenzhou-10 spacecraft and the Long March-2F carrier rocket at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Jiuquan, Northwest China's Gansu Province. The assembly was transported to the launch site on Monday morning, which marks the manned Shenzhou-10 mission entering the final phase of its preparation. The spacecraft, which will be launched in mid-June from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, will carry three astronauts and dock with Tiangong-1, target orbiter and space module. (Xinhua/Qin Xian'an)
China is preparing to launch the Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft in mid-June to dock with the target orbiter and space module Tiangong-1 again, the country's manned space program announced Monday.
The launch, which is in its final phase of preparation, further paves the way for China's construction of a space station, said experts.
The spacecraft and the modified model of the Long March-2F carrier rocket was transported to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province on Monday morning, said an unnamed spokesperson from the program, adding that three astronauts will be on board.
"The Shenzhou-10 marks the first time the application of the manned space-to-earth transportation system will be carried out, and China will be able to enter the space station era if the missions are successful," said Bao Weimin, director of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
"A space station will help China conduct long-term scientific missions and is a sign of the maturity of a country's space technology," Pang Zhihao, a space expert, told the Global Times earlier.
However, building a space station will be a very challenging task, Zhang Bainan, chief designer of the Shenzhou-10, was quoted as saying by the China News Service. "The construction needs more technological breakthroughs after the space-to-earth transportation system enters the final stage," Zhang said.
The spacecraft and the carrier rocket arrived in late March for testing and assembling. In the next few days, a series of joint tests between the spacecraft, carrier rocket and ground facilities will be conducted.
After a final examination and confirmation, propellants will be injected into the rocket, which will be launched at the appropriate time, the spokesperson added.
The Ministry of National Defense also said Monday on its website that the eight major systems related to all missions are operating smoothly, and the astronauts have finished their training sessions for the scientific experiments they will carry out after docking with the Tiangong-1 during the mission.
The Tiangong-1, which was sent to space in 2011, is functioning normally and entered the appropriate orbit for docking in late May for the mission.
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