"China put into place its space program long ago, and it will stick to its schedule without being distracted," Zhang was quoted as saying. He was paraphrased as saying a manned launch would take place this year, though the report gave no details. The Chinese have not given any indication whether one or more taikonauts will be launched or how long the flight will last. However, the last unmanned flight of the Shenzhou capsule in January lasted for 108 orbits. Also, the Russian Soyuz capsule, on which the Shenzhou is based, can seat up to three people. A successful flight would make China only the third nation, after Russia and the United States, to send a human into space on its own.
Beijing is thought to have invested at least $1 billion in the program, a symbol of communist-led progress. The sum is large for a country with an annual income per person of about $700. The military-linked program, begun in 1992, operated until recently in almost total secrecy. But China has been emboldened by four test launches of its Shenzhou space capsule, the latest in January. "Technically there is no direct link between China's manned space program and U.S. missions, and China has developed an effective quality-control system in rocket and spacecraft manufacturing, launching and scientific research," the China Daily quoted Zhang as saying.
A spokesman at China Aerospace headquarters in Beijing couldn't confirm the report and said Zhang wasn't available to comment. However, earlier reports from state-controlled media about the space program have been confirmed by officials. The report Friday noted that China's Long March booster rockets have had 27 successful launches in the past seven years. [End]