Zhang Jianqi, Assistant Director of JSLC which is in the northwestern province of Gansu, told the news service that the centre would lead in launching yuhangyuan into space.

Zhang said that within ten years China would take the course to mount "unmanned spaceflights, manned missions, orbital docking and transfer, and [establish a] space station". The Chinese manned program mirrors the path that the former Soviet Union and United States took in the past thirty years.

Zhang's comment reflects the country's commitment to launch its own space station in a decade. Recent reports also support such as assertion. Last month Russia courted China to assist in training yuhangyuan and ground controllers, and to sell Russian space technologies and expertise to help build the Chinese space station.

In January two former Russian cosmonauts visited China in a technical exchange. Reportedly one of the cosmonauts had provided technical consultation to two yuhangyuan who were candidates to be the crew of the maiden manned flight.

Jiuquan Launch Center

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Satellite Launch To Boost DTH In India
Calcutta, India (SPX) Dec 28, 2005
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