BEIJING - A Chinese spacecraft on Sunday successfully completed the country's first manual docking in orbit, the official Xinhua news agency said, a milestone in an ambitious programme to build a space station.
The Shenzhou-9 spacecraft manually linked with the Tiangong-1 module just over a week into a manned space mission which includes China's first female astronaut, following an automatic docking on Monday.
"The first manual docking has been completed normally," mission control announced in a live broadcast on state television.
The manual "space kiss" was the main goal of the Shenzhou-9 mission, testing the docking technique essential to building a space station -- which China aims to do by 2020.
The two spacecraft first came together in an automatic docking on June 18, and several hours later the three astronauts on board Shenzhou-9 entered the experimental Tiangong-1 module -- a first for China.
Earlier on Sunday, the two vessels separated in preparation for the manual docking, which state media originally said would take place around noon (0400GMT), although it was not completed until roughly 45 minutes later.
Manual docking is hard to master as it involves two vessels -- placed in the same orbit and revolving around Earth at thousands of kilometres per hour -- coming together very gently to avoid destroying each other.
The Tiangong-1 will only stay in orbit until 2013 and will later be replaced.
- AFP/ir
Popular Posts
-
ព្រីម លីហ្សា បានត្អូញត្អែរពីភាពឈឺក្បាល ព្រោះតែប្រុសៗជាច្រើនដែលតែងតែសុំស្នេហ៍ និងរញ៉េរញ៉ៃជាមួយនាង នាពេលកន្លងមក ក្នុងពេលន...
-
Actress Aliya has dropped jaws Actress Aliya has dropped jaws after splashing out thousands of dollars for good causes. Local gossips suspec...
-
As Chinese models become bolder, they’re showing more … and more flesh. The incredibly bold Gan Lulu (干露露) is facing strong competition fr...
-
The Angkor Bodybuilding Association will organise its second ABBA Bodybuilding Competition at the Angkor Century Hotel in Siem Reap on J...
-
Cambodian actors Kol Davy and Pream Nak, in a scene from the upcoming feature film Bewailing of Life. Photograph: supplied Important mess...
-
BEIJING - A Chinese spacecraft on Sunday successfully completed the country's first manual docking in orbit, the official Xinhua news ...
-
ក្រចេះ: លោកអភិបាលខេត្តក្រចេះកំពុងតែជិះរថយន្ត បង្កឲ្យមានគ្...
-
Shu Qi is the most successful actress who transferred from a Category III films actress to a mainstream movies actress. ...
-
Today, Littlefashion shares tips of how to choose colors for your lips. Find the reds, pinks, corals and other shades that match your skin t...
-
By Taing Sarada, VOA Khmer Original report from Washington 11 September 2009 ...
0 comments To "China completes first manual space docking"
Post a Comment