China is pushing forward on readying its first space station module for launch. Meanwhile, that country's first astronaut is openly discussing the prospect of China's future engagement with the International Space Station.

The 8.5-ton Tiangong-1 module, the first in a series of connecting rooms that will be launched into orbit, has been transported to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's Gansu Province and is undergoing a final checkout before its liftoff on a Long March II-F carrier booster later this year.