China's next manned space flight, the third in its ambitious program, is scheduled to take place in 2008, state media reported.

A crowd watches the launch of the Shenzhou VI rocket on a big screen in Beijing. China's next manned space flight, the third in its ambitious program, is scheduled to take place in 2008, state media reported. The date is one year later than previous announcements of the launch schedule for the Shenzhou VII craft, but Beijing Times gave no explanation for the change. [AFP]

The Shenzhou 7 was initially scheduled to fly next year, but the government announced a delay last month, saying it needed time to prepare a spacesuit for a planned space walk.

Jing Muchun, the manned space program's chief designer, said better quality parts would be used for the rocket carrier and scientists would upgrade sections of the craft to improve its reliability, the Xinhua News Agency said.

The Shenzhou VII mission would kick off the second phase of China's manned space program which would focus on relatively complex procedures, sending astronauts on space walks and having craft dock in space.

It quoted Jing as saying designers also are "considering adding more cameras."

Xinhua and newspaper reports didn't give a date for the flight or other details.
But officials earlier said the mission probably would include a spacewalk and possible maneuvers meant to practice docking at a planned Chinese space station.

China's second manned space mission, taking two astronauts into orbit for five days, ended in October seemingly without major glitches.

Shenzhou V, China's first manned spacecraft, blasted off in October 2003, making China the third nation after the former Soviet Union and the United States to send a man into space.