The impending launch of the manned Shenzhou IX spacecraft will be the first time that China's astronauts will stay in space for more than 10 days.The mission will also complete the country's first manned space docking to master the necessary technology for assembling a space station, see China's first female astronaut in space and have astronauts entering a space lab module for the first time. China Daily online will provide a live report to cover the big event!

China will launch its Shenzhou IX manned spacecraft at 6:37 pm Saturday, sending the country's first female astronaut into space, a spokeswoman said Friday.

Three astronauts, two male and one female, will travel aboard the spacecraft to complete the country's first manual space docking test, said Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program, at a press conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

China's astronauts Jing Haipeng (C), Liu Wang (R) and Liu Yang meet with media in Jiuquan, Northwest China's Gansu province, June 15, 2012. The three astronauts will board Shenzhou IX spacecraft on Saturday to fulfill China's first manned space docking mission. [Photo/Xinhua]