CHINA TO LAUNCH MANNED SPACE MISSION

BEIJING: China will launch a manned space mission today, official media said, as the Asian giant works towards setting up its own space station. Chinese astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong will be on board the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft as it blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi desert, Xinhua news agency said yesterday. They will arrive at China’s orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 in two days and stay for 30 more before returning to earth. Jing, a 50-year-old astronaut who has already been to space twice, will command the mission. – AFP