Carrier rocket of manned spacecraft reaches launch center

BEIJING - The Long March 2-F rocket that will carry China's new manned spacecraft Shenzhou-10 was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Thursday, China's manned space program announced.

The Long March 2-F carrier rocket is technologically advanced and more reliable compared to the one that carried the Shenzhou-9, according to a press release.

Shenzhou-10, scheduled to blast off early next month, was delivered to the launch center in northwest China on March 31.

The spacecraft will operate both automated and manual space docking with target orbiter Tiangong-1, conducting scientific experiments in the lab module and giving science lectures to spectators on the Earth.

Tiangong-1 was sent into space in September 2011. It docked with the Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft in November 2011 and the manned Shenzhou-9 in June last year.