China will be launching the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft later this month to perform the country’s first manned space docking mission. The spacecraft, along with three astronauts and the Long March 2-F carrier rocket, is set to rendezvous with the Tiangong-1 space lab module, which lowered to docking orbit earlier this month. The unmanned Shenzhou-8 spacecraft docked with the Tiangong-1 last Novemenber.
China launching first manned space docking mission this month
China will be launching the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft along with three astronauts to perform the country’s first manned space docking mission later this month.
China will be launching the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft along with three astronauts to perform the country’s first manned space docking mission later this month.
The completion of the mission will be a momentous occasion for China, as chief designer of the manned space program Zhou Jianping explains:
It means China’s spacecraft will become a genuine manned shuttle tool between space and Earth. It can send human beings to space stations or space labs. This will be a significant step in China’s manned space flight history.The Shenzhou-9 and the Long March 2-F were delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in April, where they have been undergoing final testing in preparation for launch.
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