China to launch spacecraft in preparation for space station

China is planning to launch the Tiangong 1 (“Heavenly Palace”) in order to build its first space station, a further sign of its bid to catch up with US and Russian space technology, the Financial Times reported. The program would make China the world’s only country with a space station – though experts warn that tough technical challenges lie ahead for the country. According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the space station will focus on scientific research, but will be largely controlled by the military. It is expected to be completed in 2020, after the International Space Station is set to retire. The Tiangong 1 will be used to practice docking spacecrafts, the first of which is an unmanned mission scheduled for later this year, followed by two manned docking exercises next year.