Here are some details about Shenzhou:

-- Shenzhou means "Divine Ship" (God Vessel or Magic Vessel).

-- It has a dome-shaped design and is comprised of three modules -- a forward orbital module, a re-entry module and a service module at the back.

-- The orbital module has a hatch where astronauts can exit, and carry out a spacewalk if required.

-- The ship can seat up to three people.

-- The first Shenzhou was launched on 19 November, 1999 in an unmanned flight that orbited the Earth 14 times before landing under parachute.

-- Three subsequent Shenzhou unmanned spacecrafts were launched, leading up to the first manned mission in 2003.

-- Shenzhou capsules have flown at altitudes from 196 to 334 kilometres (122 to 207 miles).

-- The capsules are built by the state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

-- Shenzhou is said to have been named by former president Jiang Zemin.

-- The Shenzhou VI spacecraft is launched by a Long March 2F rocket, the type used for years to ferry Earth orbit satellites.

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