China's successful launch of its first space lab module is a breakthrough for China in the domains of science, economy and politics, a Russian expert said in a recent interview.
A spokesperson with China's manned space program said fuel has been injected into the Long March-2FT1 carrier rocket in preparation for launching the Tiangong-1 space module.
China will conduct its first space docking test within two days after launching the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft.
China is confident in the upcoming launch of its first space lab module Tiangong-1, although space launches are highly risky, said Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program.
Officials in charge of astronaut recruitment say civilians could soon get the chance to compete for a place on a spacecraft.
Last-minute preparations for the launch of the Tiangong-1 spacecraft began at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Monday, meaning the vehicle can soon embark on a mission that will eventually have it dock with a spaceship, according to the center.
China is making last-minute preparations to launch the country's first space laboratory module at the end of this week at a launch center in northwest China.
A precondition for launching is that the average wind speed at the launch site should not be faster than 10 meters a second. Weather forecasts showed that Thursday or Friday might be suitable.
The Long March II-F carrying Tiangong-1, or "Heavenly Palace 1", will take off from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China’s Gansu province between Sept 27 and 30.
China will launch a prototype module for a planned space lab next week, a step that will bring it closer to the US and Russia as space powers.
The launch of the spacecraft Tiangong-1 has been rescheduled due to a satellite launch failure, China's manned space program spokesman said.
China's first module of a planned space station has been transported to a launch center in western Gansu Province where it will undergo final tests before its scheduled launch later this year.
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