Xu Dazhe, head of an experimental team at China's satellite launch center, also said the next launch, scheduled to take place within two years, could possibly be moved up given the current state of research.

Compared with Shenzhou V, which lifted China's first man into orbit earlier this month, Shenzhou VI will have more interior space to accommodate three astronauts rather than one, Xu said.

After having accomplished a manned space flight, the next priority for China will be to try a space walk and eventually set up its own space station, Xu was quoted as saying by the Chengdu Evening News.

A space walk would help another hitherto unknown Chinese astronaut to sudden world fame, the way Yang Liwei became a household name overnight after his 14 orbits around the earth onboard the Shenzhou V a fortnight ago.

Yang, a 38-year-old fighter pilot, was a natural choice as the first Chinese in space, according to Xu, who is also vice general manager of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

He regularly came out top during the numerous tests throughout the strenuous astronaut training program, even becoming number one in a speech contest.

Xu's bullish predictions about the next manned flight suggest China's space community is divided over how fast to push the country's fledgling space program.

Only this weekend, the chief engineer of the rocket that propelled Shenzhou V into orbit said the next mission would carry just two astronauts, although the capsule has room for three.

Chinese engineers and scientists have previously come up with widely divergent views on how fast they should move in their reach for space.

While some dream up colonies on Mars, others are quoted as saying it will be another two decades before China manages to even send a robot to the Moon.

SPACE.WIRE