China is gearing up for what will be its fourth manned space launch and possibly the country’s first launch to include a female astronaut, according to a recent announcement made by a government news agency over the weekend.
The mission is expected to include the launch of three astronauts into space aboard the Shenzhou 9, where they will then attempt to dock for the first time with the Tiangong 1, a laboratory module launched into orbit by a Long March 2F rocket last September. Less than two months later, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 successfully rendezvoused and docked with the module on two separate occasions.
