Exploration program has 'Chinese characteristics'

JIUQUAN, Gansu: The country is pursuing a space technology program "in line with Chinese characteristics", a top rocket scientist said.

"The scale of our manned space program is modest. It cannot be compared with that of the United States and Russia in terms of manpower and money," Ma Xingrui, deputy commander-in-chief of Project 921 and the Shenzhou VII mission, said at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center (JSLC) in Gansu province.

Project 921 is a three-phased space program started in 1992. It involves a manned spaceflight, building a space lab and setting up a space station before 2020.