China launched a new space tracking ship on Saturday, expected to serve the Shenzhou VII spacewalk mission scheduled for autumn, said a spokesman of the maritime space surveying and controlling operation. The new space tracking ship was the sister ship of the Yuanwang-5, which was put into use in September, said the spokesman, adding the two vessels would play a key role in the Shenzhou VII mission.

The new ship, with a full load displacement tonnage of 25,000, started construction in April 2006 with adopted advanced technologies in the fields of space, maritime, meteorology, electronic, mechanics, optics, telecom and computer sciences.

The ship can resist wind above level 12 and cruise in any sea areas in the latitude belt between 60 degrees north and 60 degrees south.

It had an information superhighway platform built via optical fibers, on which various systems could expand their functions and share information so as to promptly root out malfunction, the spokesman said.

He said the ship was "sailor-friendly" as a crew would feel more comfortable during their long stays at sea. Sailors could benefit from the technologies in reduced vibration and noise and a more advanced air-conditioning system.