The mission will be conducted sometime during the summer

Feb 18, 2012 09:26 GMT  ·  By

A prototype space station module currently in low-Earth orbit will receive the visit of three Chinese astronauts sometime during this summer, officials with the China National Space Administration (CNSA) report. The Asian nation has ambitious plans for space exploration.

Late last year, it conducted the first robotic orbital docking maneuver, where the Tiangong 1 module successfully connected to the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft. CNSA said even before that maneuver was carried out that 2012 will see the first orbital docking attempt involving a manned spacecraft.

That mission, to be flown aboard the Shenzhou 9 space capsule, is currently scheduled to lunch to space between June and August. It will be crewed by three astronauts, whose main job will be to ensure that that two capsules connect to each other flawlessly.

If the mission is deemed a success, then China will accelerate its plans to assemble its first space station. According to medium-term plans unveiled by the CNSA, the Asian nation means to make a space lab operational by 2020.

Though it will most likely be considerably smaller than the International Space Station, assembling such a structure would demonstrate China's commitment to space exploration yet again. It took international partners more than a decade and $100 billion to construct the ISS.

The fact that China plans to construct a similar structure on its own, and within 8 years, is a testament to the dedication of the people working for CNSA. But before the station can be made a reality, the manned docking maneuver needs to be completed successfully.

Shenzhou 9 will fly to space aboard a Long March 2F rocket, state media reports, quoted by Space.

Unlike the Shenzhou 8 capsule, which used robotic guidance to dock to Tiangong 1, the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft will rely on its crew to conduct a manual docking. This means that the astronauts will be in complete control of the approach and actual docking.

Thought about 40 years behind the United States and the Russian Federation in terms of manned spaceflight, China is rapidly catching up. Its first manned mission was carried out in 2003, and the country is already planning a trip to the Moon after the completion of its first space station.