China manned space flight set for October

AFP, June, 2008

BEIJING (AFP) — The launch of China's third manned space flight, the Shenzhou VII, with a crew of three "taikonauts" has been set for October, state media reported on Thursday.

A short-list of six "taikonauts" or astronauts had already been selected for the flight and would be whittled down to a crew of three before the October launch, Xinhua news agency said, citing a spokesman for the mission.

"One member of the flight crew will undergo a space walk and undertake relevant scientific experiments," the spokesman said.

The names of the taikonauts were not given, but Yang Liwei, China's first man in space, had previously been reported to be a candidate for the flight.

No precise dates of the launch were given, but officials earlier had said it would...