Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8 re-docks with prototype space lab Tiangong-1

[A.V.]

Shenzhou spaceship begins historic orbital pursuit

BEIJING, March 7 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch the Shenzhou-8 and Shenzhou-9 spacecraft in 2011, a former chief designer of China's manned-space project said here Saturday.

　　Wang Yongzhi, who is also a member the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks on the sidelines of the annual session the top political advisory body.

　　China plans to launch an unmanned space module into orbit as early as the end of 2010, which is expected to dock with the unmanned Shenzhou-8 in 2011. It would be the country's first space docking.

　　If the space module and spacecraft dock successfully, the country will launch in the same year the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft with taikonauts aboard, Wang said.

　　Liang Xiaohong, vice president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, told Xinhua Saturday the module and two spacecraft will be carried by Long March 2F rockets and launched between the fourth quarter of 2010 and October, 2011.

　　Shenzhou-9 will also dock with the module, Liang said.

　　"The two dockings, one unmanned and one manned, will lay a solid foundation for the setup of a space station," Liang said.

　　Taikonauts for Shenzhou-9 will be chosen from the first 14 taikonauts of the country, which include six taikonauts who had entered space before, Wang said.

　　China will soon start selecting a new batch of taikonauts, which may include the country's first female taikonaut. However, they need a long time of training and will not catch up with the Shenzhou-9 mission, he added.

　　China sent its first astronaut Yang Liwei into space in 2003 riding self-developed spacecraft Shenzhou-5. It was followed by a two-man mission that carried Fei Junlong and Nie Haisheng in 2005.

　　The trio of Shenzhou-7 taikonauts Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng orbited the earth for three days last year.

　　Zhai became the first Chinese to "set foot" on outer space on Sept. 27, 2008. His spacewalk lasted about 20 minutes and was believed to help pave the way for the country's next space mission-- the launch of a space lab or space station.

 

[sam919]

Shenzhou spaceship begins historic orbital pursuit

Spaceflight Now | Shenzhou Mission Report | Shenzhou spaceship begins historic orbital pursuit

An unmanned Shenzhou space capsule blasted off from China on Monday to begin a two-day chase of another spacecraft in orbit for a high-speed link-up to form an austere space laboratory for future astronaut visits.


The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft launched at 2158 GMT (5:58 p.m. EDT). Credit: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

The launching commenced an orbital ballet to pursue the Tiangong 1 module, an 11-foot-wide, 34-foot-long target vehicle that's been circling Earth since Sept. 29.

Sometime Wednesday, the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft will automatically approach the target module, establish two-way radio and navigation links, then approach Tiangong 1 at a pace of 20 centimeters per second, or less than one-half mile per hour.

So far, only Russia, the United States and the European Space Agency have launched spacecraft with the ability to rendezvous and dock in orbit. Japan has demonstrated rendezvous and docking technology with its resupply freighter for the International Space Station and a satellite mission in the 1990s.

If successful, China's autopilot docking will set the stage for one or two manned Shenzhou flights next year to visit the Tiangong module and form a temporary mini-space station for technology testing and science experiments.

The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft launched at 2158 GMT (5:58 p.m. EDT) Monday from the Jiuquan space base, a restricted military-run facility in northwestern China's Inner Mongolia province.

Featuring booster, control system and failure detection system upgrades, the 191-foot-tall Long March 2F rocket ignited with a burst of bright flame and rose from the launch pad right on time, at the exact moment necessary to reach the Tiangong module already in orbit.

Spectacular live views broadcast from cameras mounted on-board the rocket showed the Long March's four strap-on boosters falling away and the fiery glow from the vehicle's engines. China state-run television aired the launch live.

Less than 10 minutes after blasting off, the 17,817-pound Shenzhou 8 craft was released from the rocket. A few minutes later, control teams erupted in applause as they watched live footage of Shenzhou 8's solar panels deploying, a crucial moment in the mission to produce electricity.

Chinese Gen. Chang Wanquan, commander of China's manned space program, confirmed the launch was successful in a statement before engineering teams and dignitaries gathered in Beijing.

The China Manned Space Engineering Office reported the Shenzhou 8 capsule was placed in an orbit with an altitude between 124 miles and 204 miles.

Shenzhou 8 was supposed to activate a communications antenna and begin transmitting data through a relay satellite later Monday. An engine firing was also planned to circularize its orbit.


Artist's concept of the Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong 1 spacecraft docking in orbit. Credit: China Manned Space Engineering Office

Four or five rocket burns are scheduled over the next two days to bring Shenzhou 8 near Tiangong 1's position. The maneuvers will raise Shenzhou 8's orbit to an altitude of more than 200 miles before it docks with Tiangong 1.

"According to our current plan, there will be about four adjustments to the spacecraft's orbit in order to lead Shenzhou 8 to the target," said Zhang Bonan, chief designer of China's spaceflight program at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., according to reports in the state-run Xinhua news agency. "When the distance between the two vehicles is less than 50 kilometers, sensors and communication equipments attached to the craft will be able to capture the target."

Tiangong means heavenly palace in English, while Shenzhou is translated as divine craft.

Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong 1 will form a combined spacecraft stretching approximately 60 feet long. The vehicles will stay docked for 12 days, then Shenzhou 8 will back away and redock for another two days.

Chinese officials say the Shenzhou capsule will depart Tiangong 1 and its re-entry module will parachute back to Earth about 17 days after launch, or some time around Nov. 18.

Assuming this month's crucial docking tests go well, up to three astronauts could climb aboard the Shenzhou 9 spaceship and blast off early next year. They would dock with Tiangong 1 and conduct experiments inside.

The docking demo will be a crucial accomplishment for China's future space aspirations. The construction and servicing of space stations will require modules to autonomously meet and link up in orbit.

China is developing more powerful rockets to haul larger modules into space, eyeing the assembly of a large space station the size of NASA's Skylab complex of the 1970s. China expects to have the 100-ton space station in orbit by 2020.

 

[DMF]

The docking mission is a success, it look very easy, haha, it completed by an automatic way

 

[trackwhack]

Congrats, now Free Tibet and get out of POK.

 

[maomao]

Congrats.....I hope no fakes this time like the last football stadium faux pas.

 

[sam919]

China spacecraft make first successful docking

China spacecraft make first successful docking - Yahoo! News
BEIJING (AP) — China's state media says the country has moved one step closer to setting up its own space station, with two spacecraft docking successfully above the earth.

The Xinhua News Agency says the unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou 8 docked Thursday morning with the Tiangong 1 module now in orbit. Shenzhou 8 launched Tuesday.

China launched its own space station program after being turned away in its attempts to join the 16-nation International Space Station. That was largely on objections from the United States.

The U.S. is wary of the Chinese space program's military links.

China plans two more missions — at least one of them manned — to meet up with the Tiangong 1 module next year for further practice.

 

[niceguy2011]

Congrats, now Free Tibet and get out of POK.

Why? BTW, how does related to the docking? LOL

 

[RedDragon]

Well done! Proud of China!

 

[trackwhack]

Why? BTW, how does related to the docking? LOL

Its related because LOL and LOL went up an LOL to fetch an LOL of LOL. LOL fell down and LOL'ed his LOL and LOL came tumbling LOL. Comprende Comrade?

 

[nimo_cn]

Another cosmetic project by CPC!

 

[Ray]

A great achievement!

 

[aimarraul]

China sets up management body for space lab

China sets up management body for space labUpdated: 2011-11-13 22:26(Xinhua)

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BEIJING- China has established an operation committee for management of the country's first space lab module, Tiangong-1, during its two-year orbit of earth.

The committee will deal with operations planning, technical appraisal and flight control of the target orbiter after the unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft returns to earth after its mission, the official website of China's manned space program said.

The Tiangong-1 space lab module was launched on September 29 and docked with Shenzhou-8 precisely on November 3, China's first ever space docking attempt. The second docking between Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 is scheduled for November 14.

The manned space program said earlier that the same target orbiter Tiangong-1 will accommodate another two docking missions performed by two other Shenzhou spaceships, at least one of which will be manned.

The 8.5-tonne Tiangong-1 is the first space lab module that China has built, and the committee will also be the first in taking care of a long-running space asset.

The operation committee for Tiangong-1 heralds China's manned space program entering a new phase for lengthy flight missions, Niu Hongguang, director of the operation committee, said on the website 中国载人航天工程网.

The orbiting module management will include taking care of the space lab, making preparations for any further docking tests and gathering experience for building a future space station, Niu said.

 

[aimarraul]

China completes second space docking test
English.news.cn 2011-11-14 20:15:51


BEIJING, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- China's Shenzhou-8 unmanned spacecraft re-docked successfully with the Tiangong-1, a module of the country's planned space lab, Monday evening, according to the mission's control center.

About half an hour before this docking, the Shenzhou-8 had successfully disengaged from Tiangong-1 after a 12-day flight together.

The Shenzhou-8, launched on Nov. 1, rendezvoused and docked with the Tiangong-1 module on Nov. 3 in an orbit 343 km above Earth, marking China's first space docking.

Tiangong-1 has been in orbit since its launch on Sept. 29.

The docking mechanism, composed of up to 10,000 parts, and the more than 600 instruments aboard Shenzhou-8 were all developed and made by China, said Wu Ping, spokeswoman for China's manned space program, at an earlier press conference.

The Shenzhou-8 is set to return to Earth on the evening of Nov. 17, Wu said.

China's spacecraft will conduct two more space docking missions in 2012, and the country plans to establish its own space lab around 2016 and a manned space station around 2020, according to Wu.


http://v.ifeng.com/news/tech/201111/9cc226fa-791a-477a-85f8-7a8ef9d38eda.shtml

 

[cir]

Video：

[video]http://news.ifeng.com/mainland/special/shenbashengkong/zuixinbaodao/detail_2011_11/14/10649547_0.shtml[/video]

 

[niceguy2011]

go!China Go!

 

[pmaitra]

Congrats to PRC for a successful space mission.

Now to our friends from PRC: Could you please keep all posts in one thread for convenience of reference? We have two other threads that could have been in one single thread as follows:

http://defenceforumindia.com/china-pakistan/447-china-plans-launch-shenzhou-8-shenzhou-9-a.html

http://defenceforumindia.com/china-...paceship-begins-historic-orbital-pursuit.html