China to launch second manned space mission, closer to building functioning space station

China will launch its second manned space mission in mid-June in the next leap forward in its aggressive and ambitious space program. China is quickly catching up with the U.S. and Russia, both of which are scaling back space programs.

Three Chinese astronauts will board the Shenzhou-10 space capsule in mid-June on the second manned space mission the the Tiangong-1 space laboratory, launched into space in 2011.

The Long March 2F carrier rocket will launch the capsule into outer space, where it will dock with the rudimentary Tiangong-1 space laboratory for two weeks of experiments by the three astronauts. If successful, the mission puts China a step closer to fulfilling its goal of a manned space station by 2020.

In 2003 China became the third country to put an astronaut into space. As well as expanding its satellite GPA network, China is ambitious to put a man on the moon in the coming years.

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