China achieves successful docking in orbit

03 Nov 2011

1

Beijing: China successfully docked an unmanned spacecraft in orbit above the Earth on Thursday as part of its plans to launch a manned space station by 2020.

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft docked with the Tiangong 1 space lab module, which was already in orbit. The two craft will orbit the Earth together for 12 days.

Shenzhou 8 will return to Earth on Nov 17.

China has become the third nation to complete an unmanned docking, after Russia and the United States.

The docking is the latest step in China's three-part programme of space exploration. The first, completed in 2003, involved achieving manned spaceflight, making China the third country to independently send a person into orbit.

The stage currently underway includes spacewalks and remote docking procedures. Today's successful docking and Zhai Zhigang's 2008 spacewalk are some of the milestones.

Business History Videos

History of hovercraft Part 3...

Today I shall talk a bit more about the military plans for ...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of hovercraft Part 2...

In this episode of our history of hovercraft, we shall exam...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Hovercraft Part 1...

If you’ve been a James Bond movie fan, you may recall seein...

By Kiron Kasbekar | Presenter: Kiron Kasbekar

History of Trams in India | ...

The video I am presenting to you is based on a script writt...

By Aniket Gupta | Presenter: Sheetal Gaikwad

view more