China plans to launch Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011

　　全国政协委员、中国载人航天工程首任总设计师、中国工程院院士王永志昨天在接受京华时报记者采访时透露，我国计划在2011年连续发射神八和神九飞船，与之前发射的天宫一号进行太空对接。他还透露，神八为无人飞船，神九则计划再次搭载航天员飞天。

　　中国载人航天工程副总指挥张建启前天在接受媒体采访时透露，我国将于2010年—2011年发射天宫一号目标飞行器。天宫一号重8吨，类似于一个小型空间实验站。

　　王永志昨天表示，根据目前的计划，天宫一号发射后，在2011年，我国将发射神八无人飞船，与天宫一号进行空中对接。如果神八和天宫一号对接顺利，一切正常，将在同年发射神九飞船。神九将再次搭载航天员上天，并与天宫一号对接。他说，神九的航天员依然将在我国首批14名航天员中选拔，其中包括杨利伟、费俊龙、翟志刚等已经搭载过飞船飞天的6名航天员。他透露，新一批的航天员选拔工作马上开始，女航天员也正在考虑当中，这些新选拔的航天员还需要长期的训练，赶不上神九发射。

　　China plans to launch the Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011, a former chief designer of China's manned-space project said here Saturday.

　　Wang Yongzhi, who is also a member the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual session the top political advisory body.

　　China plans to launch an unmanned space module into orbit as early as the end of 2010, which is expected to dock with the unmanned Shenzhou-8 in 2011. It would be the country's first space docking.

　　If the space module and spacecraft dock successfully, the country will launch in the same year the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft with taikonauts aboard, Wang said.

　　Liang Xiaohong, vice president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told Xinhua Saturday the module and two spacecraft will be carried by Long March 2F rockets and launched between the fourth quarter of 2010 and October, 2011.

　　Shenzhou-9 will also dock with the module, Liang said.

　　"The two dockings, one unmanned and one manned, will lay a solid foundation for the setup of a space station," Liang said.

　　Taikonauts for Shenzhou-9 will be chosen from the first 14 taikonauts of the country, which include six taikonauts who had entered space before, Wang said.

　　China will soon start selecting a new batch of taikonauts, which may include the country's first female taikonaut. However, they need a long time of training and will not catch up with the Shenzhou-9 mission, he added.

　　China sent its first astronaut Yang Liwei into space in 2003 riding self-developed spacecraft Shenzhou-5. It was followed by a two-man mission that carried Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng in 2005.

　　The trio of Shenzhou-7 taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng orbited the earth for three days last year.

　　Zhai became the first Chinese to "set foot" on outer space on Sept. 27, 2008. His spacewalk lasted about 20 minutes and was believed to help pave the way for the country's next space mission-- the launch of a space lab or space station.