JIUQUAN, China, April 24 -- China was making final preparations for the launch on Thursday of a three-person replacement crew for its orbiting space station that will mark a further step toward a possible crewed mission to the Moon and exploration of Mars.

The Shenzhou 20 mission is scheduled to blast off Thursday evening from a launch center in Jiuquan, on the edge of the Gobi Desert in northwestern China, reports AP.

The Tiangong, or "Heavenly Palace," space station has made China a major contender in space, especially since it was entirely Chinese-built after the country was excluded from the International Space Station over US national security concerns. China's space program is controlled by the People's Liberation Army, the milita...