Major step for China as spaceships dock in orbit
Source: Xinhua |
November 3, 2011, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's space program took a giant leap forward early today as the Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docked successfully with the Tiangong-1 space lab module.
The commander-in-chief of China's manned space program, Chang Wanquan, made the announcement this morning that the long-anticipated event was a success.
The unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 deployed hooks to latch onto the space lab module Tiangong-1 about 1:30am.
The docked Shenzhou-Tiangong combination will fly for 12 days, during which Shenzhou will shut down all its equipment and be completely unplugged. The rendezvous and docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 are pivotal, as the procedures are a must for the construction of a permanent manned space station, which China hopes to build around 2020.
China will send the Shenzhou-9 and -10 for another two docking missions in 2012. At least one of the two spacecraft will carry astronauts.
China has succeeded in launching seven spacecraft and sending six astronauts into space since 1999, building up experience for the launch of the Shenzhou-8, as well as the planned launches of the Shenzhou-9 and -10 next year. The country's first spacecraft, the Shenzhou-1, was launched in November 1999, heralding the beginning of China's foray into manned space exploration.
Once China has mastered rendezvous and docking procedures, it will be armed with the capacity required for building a permanent space station, said Zhou Jianping, the current chief designer of China's manned space program.
"It will make it possible for China to carry out space exploration on a larger scale," Zhou said.
In the eyes of Chinese media, the country's first space docking is not only rocket science, but also a source of inspiration for an imagined space romance.
In the most popular metaphor, Chinese media describe the docking as a "kiss in space" between the Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1. The two orbiters linked up in the early hours today as they soar over the Chinese territory at a speed of 7.8 kilometers per second.
In Tianfu Zaobao, a Sichuan-based daily, a poem entitled "Lovers' Talk" detailed how the "kiss" will elevate China's aerospace enterprise to a new height. "Tiangong, my lover, for the arrival of this moment - wait for me. I'm coming," reads the poem at the end.
Such poetic descriptions are not new to China's development.
"Technological development often draws heavily upon a nation's historical and cultural heritage, and the two supplement each other in the modern world," said An Deming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
The commander-in-chief of China's manned space program, Chang Wanquan, made the announcement this morning that the long-anticipated event was a success.
The unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 deployed hooks to latch onto the space lab module Tiangong-1 about 1:30am.
The docked Shenzhou-Tiangong combination will fly for 12 days, during which Shenzhou will shut down all its equipment and be completely unplugged. The rendezvous and docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 are pivotal, as the procedures are a must for the construction of a permanent manned space station, which China hopes to build around 2020.
China will send the Shenzhou-9 and -10 for another two docking missions in 2012. At least one of the two spacecraft will carry astronauts.
China has succeeded in launching seven spacecraft and sending six astronauts into space since 1999, building up experience for the launch of the Shenzhou-8, as well as the planned launches of the Shenzhou-9 and -10 next year. The country's first spacecraft, the Shenzhou-1, was launched in November 1999, heralding the beginning of China's foray into manned space exploration.
Once China has mastered rendezvous and docking procedures, it will be armed with the capacity required for building a permanent space station, said Zhou Jianping, the current chief designer of China's manned space program.
"It will make it possible for China to carry out space exploration on a larger scale," Zhou said.
In the eyes of Chinese media, the country's first space docking is not only rocket science, but also a source of inspiration for an imagined space romance.
In the most popular metaphor, Chinese media describe the docking as a "kiss in space" between the Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1. The two orbiters linked up in the early hours today as they soar over the Chinese territory at a speed of 7.8 kilometers per second.
In Tianfu Zaobao, a Sichuan-based daily, a poem entitled "Lovers' Talk" detailed how the "kiss" will elevate China's aerospace enterprise to a new height. "Tiangong, my lover, for the arrival of this moment - wait for me. I'm coming," reads the poem at the end.
Such poetic descriptions are not new to China's development.
"Technological development often draws heavily upon a nation's historical and cultural heritage, and the two supplement each other in the modern world," said An Deming, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
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