China today prepared for the return of the Shenzhou 6 mission, saying that the capsule was operating smoothly and its two astronauts were doing well after five days in space.

US MILLIONAIRE scientist Gregory Olsen and a two-man Russian-American crew returned from the international space station to Earth yesterday in a swift, bone-jarring descent.

China’s second manned space mission will be launched tomorrow morning, carrying two astronauts into orbit on a flight lasting several days, the government announced today.