China will launch its first unmanned space module, Tiangong-1, also known as the "target spacecraft," next year, Yan Zhongwen of the China Academy of Space Technology told Guangzhou Daily on Monday. Tiangong-1, a spacecraft module equipped with two docking ports to serve as a target for a rendezvous docking operation, is expected to enter into orbit in October 2011. It will first dock with the unmanned Shenzhou 8 spacecraft and then the manned Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, according to Yan Zhongwen ...

Read more: Tiangong-1 to be launched next year

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