Asia-Pacific News
LEAD: China's Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docks with capsule
Nov 2, 2011, 17:52 GMT
Beijing - China completed its first space docking manoeuvre Wednesday between its unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft and the Tiangong-1 space capsule, state television reported, showing live footage of the event.
The docking took place shortly after 1700 GMT and marked a significant step in China's programme to establish a permanent manned space station in low earth orbit within a decade.
Shenzhou-8 blasted off on Tuesday on board a Long March-2F carrier rocket from the remote Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in north-western China's Gansu province.
It is scheduled stay linked to the Tiangong-1 for about 12 days, orbiting the earth at a height of 343 kilometres. The Shenzhou-8 was carrying an experimental facility developed by German and Chinese scientists.
The two-year Tiangong-1 mission was launched on September 29 to provide the target vehicle for Shenzhou-8.
Astronauts are scheduled to visit Tiangong-1 twice next year on the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, which are designed to link with Tiangong-1 to form a mini-space station.
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