BEIJING - China will launch a prototype module for a planned space lab next week, Xinhua saidon Tuesday, a step that will bring it closer to the United States and Russia as space powers.
The Tiangong 1, or "Heavenly Palace", will blast off from the Gobi Desert Jiuquan launch site ina remote part of the northwestern province of Gansu between Sept. 27 and Sept. 30, justahead of the Oct. 1 national day holiday.
The eight-tonne unmanned module, and the rocket that will carry it skyward, have been movedonto the launch pad, the report said, citing a spokesman for the country's space programme. Itgave no other details.
While the Tiangong initiative much smaller and more modest than the International SpaceStation jointly operated by Russia, the United States and other countries, it is the latest sign ofChina's growing space technology ability.
After Tiangong 1 goes into orbit, China will use it to practice docking and other skills needed tooperate a long-term space lab.
China launched its second moon orbiter last year after it became only the third country to sendits astronauts walking in space outside their orbiting craft in 2008.
China plans an unmanned moon landing and deployment of a moon rover in 2012, and theretrieval of lunar soil and stone samples around 2017. Scientists have talked about thepossibility of sending a man to the moon after 2020.
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