Shenzhou X to conduct application-orientated flight

JIUQUAN - The Shenzhou X manned spacecraft will start China's application-orientated flight for the country's space program, a spokeswoman with China's manned space program said Monday.

In the upcoming mission, the Shenzhou X spacecraft powered by a Long March-2F carrier rocket will transport astronauts and supplies to the orbiting space module Tiangong-1, spokeswoman Wu Ping told a press conference.

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During the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft and Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft flights, China mainly tested the docking techniques between the spaceships and the target orbiter Tiangong-1, she said.

The Shenzhou X flight will focus more on testing the operations of personnel and material transport between Earth and the orbiter, the spokeswoman said.

To comprehensively master space docking technology is needed to the building and operation of a space station, Wu said. With the previous two spacecraft missions, China has grasped automated and manual space docking techniques, she said.

The Shenzhou X spacecraft is scheduled to be launched at 5:38 p.m. Beijing Time Tuesday.