They split up ... but not for long
Source: Xinhua |
November 15, 2011, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
China's Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft carried out a successful redocking maneuver with Tiangong-1, a module of the country's planned space lab, last night, the mission's control center said.
The picture of Shenzhou-8, above, was taken half an hour before the second docking by a camera on Tiangong-1 after the two had disengaged following a 12-day flight together.
Shenzhou-8, launched on November 1, docked with Tiangong-1 on November 3 in an orbit 343 kilometers above the Earth, marking China's first space docking. The Tiangong-1 was launched into space on September 29.
The docking mechanism, composed of up to 10,000 parts, and the more than 600 instruments aboard Shenzhou-8 were developed and made by China.
Shenzhou-8 is set to return to Earth on Thursday.
Prior to its return,Shenzhou-8 will re-disengage from Tiangong-1 and fly alone for a period of time, instead of immediately returning to Earth.
The space docking is the latest step in China's 10-year program to place a manned space station in orbit.
China will conduct two more docking missions in 2012, and the country plans to establish a space lab around 2016 and a manned space station around 2020.
The picture of Shenzhou-8, above, was taken half an hour before the second docking by a camera on Tiangong-1 after the two had disengaged following a 12-day flight together.
Shenzhou-8, launched on November 1, docked with Tiangong-1 on November 3 in an orbit 343 kilometers above the Earth, marking China's first space docking. The Tiangong-1 was launched into space on September 29.
The docking mechanism, composed of up to 10,000 parts, and the more than 600 instruments aboard Shenzhou-8 were developed and made by China.
Shenzhou-8 is set to return to Earth on Thursday.
Prior to its return,Shenzhou-8 will re-disengage from Tiangong-1 and fly alone for a period of time, instead of immediately returning to Earth.
The space docking is the latest step in China's 10-year program to place a manned space station in orbit.
China will conduct two more docking missions in 2012, and the country plans to establish a space lab around 2016 and a manned space station around 2020.
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