China will launch an unmanned spacecraft in November to make the country's first in-space docking, state media reported Wednesday (Oct. 26).

The Shenzhou 8 mission is set to launch early next month Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. The spacecraft is due to dock with the robotic Tiangong-1 module, which was launched separately in September. That craft is a prototype space lab, part of China's long-term goal of building its own manned space station in orbit.

The Tiangong 1-Shenzhou 8 maneuver will be China's first spacecraft docking. It's a necessary step toward assembling a larger space station.