China Floats Plans for Longer Spaceflights

Emboldened by the success of their orbiting taikonaut, Chinese space officials talked openly for the first time about their plans, confirming suggestions that Beijing wants a long-term presence in space.

The next Shenzhou flight should take place “within one or two years,” said Xie Mingbao, the Chinese manned space program’s chief engineer.

He said that after a series of flights to master skills in spacewalking and docking, China planned to launch a space lab that could support a crew for limited periods. “The third step is to develop a space station,” he said at a news conference.