China to blast 2 astronauts into space on Monday
posted on Oct 16, 2016 @ 5:54PM
China will launch the country's latest space mission in which two astronauts will be blasted into space and will dock with an orbiting space lab. The Shenzhou 11 spacecraft will be launched at 7:30 a.m., said Wu Ping, deputy director of China's manned space engineering office, in a news conference. "The astronaut flight group is in good condition, prelaunch preparations are basically ready," space programme official Wu Ping told reporters at a briefing. President Xi Jinping has called for China to establish itself as a space power, and it has tested anti-satellite missiles, in addition to its civilian aims. The spacecraft will dock with the Tiangong 2 space station within two days and the astronauts will stay there for 30 days to test the complex's ability to support their life. They will also conduct medical and scientific experiments, Wu said. Since October 2003, China has completed five manned space flight missions -- the last one took place in 2013 and lasted 15 days.