Shenzhou VI, China's second manned space flight to be launched next year, is scheduled to fly five to seven days, says Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of China's manned space program.

Two astronauts were expected to fly in Shenzhou VI, China's CCTV quoted Wang as saying. The design resembles that of Shenzhou V, but this time, the astronauts would step into the orbital module and conduct various types of experiments there.

A Long March II F carrier rocket would still launch the space flight. The rocket was in production and preparations for Shenzhou VI's flight had begun, Wang acknowledged.

Wang went on to say that the astronaut team was to start training for the Shenzhou VI flight in March. Yang Liwei, a member of the team, successfully completed China's first manned space flight in October last year.

China would launch a space station of larger scale with greater experimental capacity following Shenzhou VII and Shenzhou VIII, Wang told CCTV.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2004)