SHANGHAI: China has moved closer to its first manned space flight after Monday’s successful launch of an unpiloted craft for seven days of tests in orbit.

The Shenzhou IV (Divine Vessel) blasted off soon after midnight local time in the Gobi desert, north-western China, before an audience of enthusiastic national leaders.

Newspapers delayed publication to carry news of the launch, headlined in the People’s Daily as “Flying into space — and flying towards glory”.

Propelled by a Long March II/F rocket, the capsule aims to test aspects of the life support, navigation and emergency systems need for a manned flight. It has already been used in practice sessions by some of the 14 astronauts — known in China as taikonauts — who are being trained for manned flight.

The official Chinese news agency said that Monday’s launch could soon lead to China’s first manned space voyage. After the last Shenzhou flight in March, the project’s chief engineer said that a manned flight was probable “within two years”.

As well as transporting complex instruments to be tested in space, the Shenzhou IV also carried 100 peony seeds in a novel experiment to measure the effect of exposure to zero gravity. Experts hope the seeds will eventually produce plants up to four times higher than the average.—Dawn/The Guardian News Service.