China said on Wednesday it would launch a space lab to be manned for long stretches within about 10 years, a move it believes would bring it closer to the United States and Russia as powers capable of reaching the moon.
The official Xinhua news agency, quoting an unidentified space official, said a trial space lab would be launched before 2016 to test equipment and techniques. But it was not clear if that lab would be manned for long periods.
The space station program will use existing technology, including the Shenzhou space vehicle and the Long March 2F launch rocket, Xinhua said. The agency gave no details of the size of the planned labs.
Establishing a manned space lab will "promote our country's scientific and technological progress and innovation, enhance overall national strength and make an important contribution to raising national prestige," the official said.
China is jostling with neighbors Japan and India for a bigger presence in outer space, but its plans have faced international scrutiny. Beijing says its space aims are peaceful.
Fears of a space arms race with the United States and other powers mounted after China blew up one of its own weather satellites with a ground-based missile in January 2007.More
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2 comments:
Made in China ..... will mean it will be cheap and fall apart after 6 months. Altho at least it wont be built by Union workers then it might last a week
itll be lead based and fall back to earth. im sure the dems would try to find a way to tax it though
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