China plans to send three astronauts to its new space station later this month.The plans were confirmed to state television by Yang Liwei, a chief designer for China's manned space program.Yang was the country's first astronaut to launch into orbit in 2003.Three astronauts are to complete a three-month mission on the new space station, called Tianhe.It is the third and largest space station China has built. Its main module was launched into orbit April 29.Last Sunday, a self-piloted spacecraft arrived at the space station carrying supplies.Chinese officials said the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft reached the station eight hours after lanching from Hainan, an island in the South China Sea.The spacecraft was carrying space suits, living supplies, equipment and fuel.The astronauts will be carried to space aboard the country's Shenzhou 12 spacecraft.It will launch from China's Jiuquan base in the northwest.Yang did not provide the identities of the astronauts or give a flight date in his comments to China Central Television.
