Article Posted on : - Sep 03, 2008

SHANGHAI (BNS): China is expected to launch earlier its third manned spaceflight, Shenzhou VII, with three astronauts between September 17 and October 1, from Jiuquan launch centre in northwest Gansu province.

Hong Kong newspaper, Wen Wei Po in its edition dated September 2, carried a news item stating that China was likely to launch Shenzhou VII after the closing of Beijing Paralympics and before the National Day.

However, officials refused to confirm the report.

The newspaper said that the mission was to blast off from China's Jiuquan launch centre, in northwest Gansu province and land in northern Inner Mongolia province. The manned flight had been postponed several times, and an earlier communication from the officials said that the launch was likely to take place in October or November.

The Chinese official news agency, Xinhua reported earlier that three astronauts or will be aboard the flight, and one of them would be conducting the first space walk.

The mission will use the Shenzhou spacecraft on a Long March-2F (CZ-2F) launch vehicle. The spacecraft has already been flown to Jiuquan launch Centre. The CZ-2F carrier rocket has been assembled and is ready to be sent to the launch center.

In 2003, Yang Liwei became the first Chinese to go in to orbit, while China became the third country after the former Soviet Union and US to put a man in to space. In 2005, it sent two more astronauts on a five-day mission. Shenzhou VII will be its third mission in to space with three astronauts.