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Shenzhou-9 spacecraft blasts off

China's Shenzhou-9 spacecraft on a Long March-2F carrier rocket blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China at 6:37pm today.

Commander-in-chief of China's manned space program Chang Wanquan announced that Shenzhou-9 spacecraft had accurately entered its orbit, calling the spaceship launch a success.

The first Chinese woman in space Liu, 33, is joined by commanding officer Jing Haipeng and Liu Wang, a former air force pilot who has been selected as an astronaut trainee since January 1998.

One major task of the Shenzhou-9 manned space mission is to conduct China's first manned space docking attempt.

China's Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft will complete an automated docking procedure with the Tiangong-1 lab module in two days. After the docking, astronauts will enter the space lab to carry out scientific experiments, technical tests and physical exercises, as well as to take rests.

A successful manual docking will demonstrate a grasp of essential space rendezvous and docking know-how, a big step in the country's manned space program to build a space station around 2020.

China succeeded in the automated space docking between Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 last year.



 

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