Shenzhou II should pave the way for a manned flight within the next few years

Under the command of the ground-based monitoring network, the power-generating, placing, measuring, data management systems and various scientific instruments loaded into the module were all operating normally, the agency said.

Experts quoted by Xinhua said the continued operation of the orbital module was an important technological measure, which would benefit the spaceflight programme.

Shenzhou II consisted of three sections: a forward orbital section, a return capsule and a rear propulsion module.

The capsule and its contents have been transported to Beijing for tests.

Intensive training

Last month, state media said China aimed to put an astronaut into space within five years, setting an official timetable for the first time.

In 1999, China announced a four-step manned spaceflight plan, with the aim of establishing a space station served by shuttle-style vehicles.

"The successful launching and recovery of Shenzhou II indicates China's manned spaceflight technology is advancing and has laid a solid foundation for the country to eventually conduct manned space flights,'' state media said this week.

The People's Daily newspaper quoted an unnamed expert at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, who said China needed "three to four more test flights of unmanned space aircraft" before it could send a human into space.

Luan Enjie, director of the State Aerospace Bureau, also quoted in the People's Daily, said that the country's first generation of astronauts were "receiving intensive training."