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Mission accomplished as astronauts float into lab
Source: Xinhua |
June 14, 2013, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA'S latest manned space capsule successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 space lab yesterday and the three astronauts had entered the module, Beijing Aerospace Control Center said.
The astronauts - Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping - opened the hatch of Tiangong-1 at 4:17pm after their Shenzhou-10 spacecraft completed an automated docking procedure at 1:18pm.
The Beijing center gave the go-ahead to enter Tiangong-1 after staff on the ground checked conditions between the modules.
Nie, assisted by Zhang, opened Tiangong-1's hatch and the three astronauts entered one by one, floating between the modules in zero gravity, their waves to staff at ground control captured by a camera on Tiangong-1.
The docking procedure was the fifth between Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong-1. Previous dockings included two automated operations by the unmanned Shenzhou-8 in 2011 and automated and manual dockings by the manned Shenzhou-9 in 2012.
The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, launched on Tuesday from northwest China's Gobi desert, began its approach to Tiangong-1 at 10:48am yesterday.
The astronauts are due to conduct a manual docking with the space lab during their 15-day stay in space and conduct several experiments as well as give a lecture to students back on Earth.
China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking procedures.
The Tiangong-1 space lab has been in orbit for around 620 days and will remain in service for another three months.
The module is considered the first step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to do by 2020.
The astronauts - Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping - opened the hatch of Tiangong-1 at 4:17pm after their Shenzhou-10 spacecraft completed an automated docking procedure at 1:18pm.
The Beijing center gave the go-ahead to enter Tiangong-1 after staff on the ground checked conditions between the modules.
Nie, assisted by Zhang, opened Tiangong-1's hatch and the three astronauts entered one by one, floating between the modules in zero gravity, their waves to staff at ground control captured by a camera on Tiangong-1.
The docking procedure was the fifth between Shenzhou spacecraft and Tiangong-1. Previous dockings included two automated operations by the unmanned Shenzhou-8 in 2011 and automated and manual dockings by the manned Shenzhou-9 in 2012.
The Shenzhou-10 spacecraft, launched on Tuesday from northwest China's Gobi desert, began its approach to Tiangong-1 at 10:48am yesterday.
The astronauts are due to conduct a manual docking with the space lab during their 15-day stay in space and conduct several experiments as well as give a lecture to students back on Earth.
China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking procedures.
The Tiangong-1 space lab has been in orbit for around 620 days and will remain in service for another three months.
The module is considered the first step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to do by 2020.
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