Posted: Fri, Aug 15, 2003, 10:28 AM ET (1428 GMT)
The first Chinese manned launch could take place on October 10, according to some Chinese reports. SpaceDaily reported Friday that at least one Chinese source named the date for the launch in an online posting earlier this week, supported by a separate article in the Chinese newspaper Wen Wei Po. The launch date has been the subject of considerable speculation, although Chinese officials have suggested for months that the flight would take place in October or November. The flight is expected to carry a single yuhangyuan, or astronaut, and could last up to a week. The Long March 2F booster that will be used for the flight is expected to be transferred shortly from its Beijing factory to the Jiuquan launch site.

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•  SpaceDaily article