Manual docking success for China's space trio
Source: Xinhua |
June 25, 2012, Monday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
Three Chinese astronauts successfully carried out a manual docking of the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft with the orbiting Tiangong-1 lab module yesterday.
Astronaut Liu Wang, assisted by colleagues Jing Haipeng and Liu Yang, began to maneuver the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module at 12:48pm and the connection was made some seven minutes later.
About one and a half hours earlier, Shenzhou-9 parted from Tiangong-1 to a berth point 400 meters away from the module.
A highly sophisticated space maneuver, manual docking requires the astronauts to connect together two orbiters traveling at 7.8 kilometers a second in space without a hitch.
Shortly after the docking, the smiling and waving astronauts greeted the ground crew via video link.
"The manual docking was beautifully conducted. It was very accurate and swift, " said Liu Weibo, who is responsible for China's astronaut system.
The manual docking was completed in just 7 minutes, 3 minutes faster than automatic docking, said Liu.
Liu Weibo said the success was due to three factors. Liu Wang had fully grasped the sophisticated manual docking technologies and his psychological status was sound, the three astronauts had worked in close cooperation, and the domestically made docking system was reliable.
The astronauts, 343 kilometers away from Earth, were greeted by Chinese oceanauts from the Mariana Trench, 7,020 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean.
They sent a message saying: "We hope the manual docking is a great success and wish for brilliant achievements in China's manned space and manned deep-sea dive causes."
Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing that the three Chinese astronauts had already re-entered the space lab module to continue their scientific experiments.
The spacecraft and the space lab were previously joined together in an automated docking last Monday.
"The automated docking and manual docking are both essential and they serve as a backup for each other," said Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space program.
The manual docking was a significant step for China's manned space program as China had now fully grasped the space travel, space walk and space rendezvous and docking technologies that are essential to building a space station, Zhou said.
The Shenzhou-9 is due to part from the Tiangong-1 in four days and take the three astronauts back to Earth on Friday, setting a record for China's longest space travel.
Astronaut Liu Wang, assisted by colleagues Jing Haipeng and Liu Yang, began to maneuver the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft to dock with the Tiangong-1 space lab module at 12:48pm and the connection was made some seven minutes later.
About one and a half hours earlier, Shenzhou-9 parted from Tiangong-1 to a berth point 400 meters away from the module.
A highly sophisticated space maneuver, manual docking requires the astronauts to connect together two orbiters traveling at 7.8 kilometers a second in space without a hitch.
Shortly after the docking, the smiling and waving astronauts greeted the ground crew via video link.
"The manual docking was beautifully conducted. It was very accurate and swift, " said Liu Weibo, who is responsible for China's astronaut system.
The manual docking was completed in just 7 minutes, 3 minutes faster than automatic docking, said Liu.
Liu Weibo said the success was due to three factors. Liu Wang had fully grasped the sophisticated manual docking technologies and his psychological status was sound, the three astronauts had worked in close cooperation, and the domestically made docking system was reliable.
The astronauts, 343 kilometers away from Earth, were greeted by Chinese oceanauts from the Mariana Trench, 7,020 meters beneath the Pacific Ocean.
They sent a message saying: "We hope the manual docking is a great success and wish for brilliant achievements in China's manned space and manned deep-sea dive causes."
Wu Ping, a spokeswoman for China's manned space program, told a press conference in Beijing that the three Chinese astronauts had already re-entered the space lab module to continue their scientific experiments.
The spacecraft and the space lab were previously joined together in an automated docking last Monday.
"The automated docking and manual docking are both essential and they serve as a backup for each other," said Zhou Jianping, designer-in-chief of China's manned space program.
The manual docking was a significant step for China's manned space program as China had now fully grasped the space travel, space walk and space rendezvous and docking technologies that are essential to building a space station, Zhou said.
The Shenzhou-9 is due to part from the Tiangong-1 in four days and take the three astronauts back to Earth on Friday, setting a record for China's longest space travel.
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