.*** CHINA STARTS WORK ON ITS OWN SPACE STATION ***

They sure are pushing for space exploration, aren't they?
I bet they will be the first nation to have a permanent base on the Moon and Mars.

Sep 26 2011

China Starts Work on Its Own Space Hangout



With the U.S. human space program in transition, China is taking a bold step toward an independent path to orbit with the launch this week of a space station testbed.

Tiangong-1 -- Mandarin for "heavenly palace" -- is scheduled to blast off aboard a Chinese Long March 2F rocket from a launch site in the Gobi Desert on Sept. 29 or 30, Xinhua, the official Chinese government information agency reports.

The eight-ton module will serve as an orbital testbed for China to practice robotic rendezvous and docking techniques, a necessary skill for the assembly and operation of the manned outpost China intends to build around 2020.

More here [link to news.discovery.com]