China's Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docks with capsule

Nov 2, 2011, 22:40 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 coupling.

The docking shortly after 1700 GMT marked a significant step in China's programme to establish a permanent manned space station in low-Earth orbit within a decade. The move puts China alongside the US and Russia, which have for decades had the capability to dock spacecraft.

The commander of the Chinese space centre, Cheng Wanquan, dubbed the docking a 'complete success.'

At 1 am, Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice President Xi Jinping and other communist leaders had gathered in mission control to watch the docking live.

The measure was steered remotely by engineers on the ground.

Docking a spacecraft is a 'fundamental skill' for Beijing as it moves forward to construct a space station or complete other activities in space, said Dean Cheng of the Heritage Foundation, a Washington think tank.

'If you've never done it before, it's very difficult,' he said. 'The Chinese are doing this for the first time, and doing it, so far as we know, based solely on their own technology and R&D processes.'

Shenzhou-8 blasted off Tuesday atop 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 343 kilometres above the Earth. 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.