Photo of the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft undergoing testing earlier in 2011.
CREDIT: China Manned Space Engineering Office. China will launch an unmanned spacecraft in November to make the country's first in-space docking, state media reported.
The Shenzhou 8 mission is set to launch early next month Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China.
The spacecraft is due to dock with the robotic Tiangong-1 module, which was launched separately in September.
That craft is a prototype space lab, part of China's long-term goal of building its own manned space station in orbit.
The Tiangong 1-Shenzhou 8 maneuver will be China's first spacecraft docking. It's a necessary step toward assembling a larger space station.
Read more at www.cmse.gov.cn
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