BEIJING, China (Reuters) -- China is aiming to launch its second manned space capsule in October with two astronauts on a five- to six-day mission, the China Daily newspaper reported on Friday.

Astronaut training has been stepped up in preparation for the flight, which will come two years after China first launched a man into space on a craft called Shenzhou V.

"The manned spacecraft (Shenzhou VI) will ... preferably be launched in early October," the paper quoted Sun Weigang, director of the Space Department of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., as saying.

China became the third nation to send a man into space in October 2003 when astronaut Yang Liwei orbited the earth 14 times.

Six candidates for the Shenzhou VI mission were chosen from a pool of 14 in December.

China's space plans are ambitious.

It hopes to be ready to set up its own orbiting space station in five years. The country also aims to have an astronaut perform a spacewalk during a planned Shenzhou VII mission, and eventually put men on the moon.