China is now due to take its first step towards building a space station when it launches an experimental module ahead of the country’s National Day celebrations. China considers its ambitious space program as a symbol of its global stature, growing technical expertise, and the success of Communist Party in turning around the fortunes of the formerly poverty-stricken nation. Space authorities say that Tiangong-1 or “Heavenly Palace” is expected to take off between 1316 and 1331 GMT from the Gobi desert in China’s northwest, and propelled by a Long March 2F rocket, ahead of the National Day on October 1.

This unmanned 8.5-ton module will test various space operations as a preliminary step towards building a space station by 2020. As a part of this, Tiangoong-1 which has a two-year lifespan in space, will receive the unmanned Shenzhou VIII spacecraft later this year in what would be the first Chinese docking in space. If this attempt succeeds, the module will then dock with two other spacecrafts, Shenzhou IX and X, in 2012, both of which will have at least one astronaut on board. The technology meant for docking in space is hard to master because the two vessels, placed in the same orbit and revolving around earth at some 28,000 km/h (17,360 mph), must come together progressively to avoid destroying each other.

Cui Jijun, who is director of the Jinquan launch center in Gansu province, told the official Xinhua news agency that for Tiangong-1, “over 170 technical modifications had to be made to the rocket launcher”. Mr. Cui added that alterations were also made to the launch base, where the computer center is located, in order to be better prepared for any unexpected developments during the mission.

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