China has announced it will launch the first module of its space station next year.

The unmanned ‘Heavenly Palace’ module will be transformed into a permanent taikonaut residence and space lab within two years of the launch, says Qi Faren, a member of the influential National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

Faren, who was also chief designer for the Shenzhou spaceships, told state news agency Xinhua that ‘technical reasons’ had pushed back the launch date from the original target of the end of 2010.

The New York Times notes the view of Charles Vick, a senior analyst at GlobalSecurity.org, that “space station programs have clearly won out in government planning priorities over the lunar aspirations”.

However, AP says:

Other Chinese plans include launching a second lunar probe in October in preparation for an unmanned moon landing by the end of 2012. A possible manned lunar mission has also been proposed — with a target date of 2017 — putting China in the forefront of a tightening Asian space race involving India, Japan and South Korea.

Image: a launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China in 2003 / Wikipedia.