China Plans to Put Crew in Orbit in 2005
From Times Staff and Wire Reports
China plans to launch a pair of astronauts into orbit in autumn 2005 in its second manned space mission, the official New China News Agency reported Wednesday.
The flight will last five to seven days, New China said, citing Qi Faren, the space program’s chief designer. It is the first time the Chinese government has disclosed the size of the planned crew of the Shenzhou 6 capsule.
After the next mission, plans call for another launch before 2010 that will include China’s first space walk, the report said.
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