A trio of Chinese astronauts, including the country's first woman in space, successfully docked with an orbiting test module.

Chinese astronauts docked two spaceships in orbit for the first time Monday (June 18), marking a vital milestone in the country's quest to build a manned space station in Earth orbit.

The three-person crew of theShenzhou 9 spacecraft, which includes the China's first female astronaut, arrived at the country's Tiangong 1("Heavenly Palace") test module in orbit and joined the two craft to complete the successful docking. The maneuver is the first manned docking for China, making it the third nation, after the United States and Russia, to achieve such a feat.

"We are one step closer to our destination of constructing a future space station," an official with China's space program said during a broadcast on the state-run CNTV news network. "This is the first successful crew transportation mission for China."

Shenzhou 9 and theTiangong 1 space moduledocked in an automatic mode during Monday's successful link-up, with the Chinese astronauts (called taikonauts) to stay in orbit for about 13 days. Later this week, the Shenzhou 9 crew will undock their spacecraft from Tiangong 1 and then re-dock in a manual mode in another test, Chinese space officials have said.

Shenzhou 9 lifted offon a Chinese Long March 2F rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in China's northern Gansu province Saturday (June 16). [Launch Photos: China's Shenzhou 9 Mission]

The mission is notable not just for the docking, but for the fact that this crew includes China's first female taikonaut. People's Liberation Army pilot Liu Yang is flying with repeat astronaut Jing Haipeng and rookie Liu Wang.

After Monday's successful docking, Jing entered the Tiangong 1 module first and waved to a TV camera to flight controllers on Earth. Liu Wang followed Jing inside the module while Liu Yang remained inside the Shenzhou 9 capsule performing final checks.

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China 'one step closer' to constructing space station

Chinese astronauts successfully docked with a prototype space station, making China only the third nation, after the United States and Russia, to perform such a maneuver.

A Chinese spacecraft carrying three astronauts docked with an orbiting module Monday, another first for the country as it strives to match American and Russian exploits inspace.

The Shenzhou 9 capsule completed the maneuver with the Tiangong 1 module shortly after 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), 343 kilometers (213 miles) above Earth. The docking was shown live on national television.

Astronauts will live and work in the module for several days as part of preparations for manning a permanentspacestation. The crew includes 33-year-old Liu Yang, an air force pilot andChina'sfirst femalespacetraveler.

The docking was a first for Chinese manned spaceflight. In November 2011, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 successfully docked twice with Tiangong 1 by remote control.

Monday's docking also was completed by remote control from a ground base inChina. A manual docking, to be carried out by one of the crew members, is scheduled for later in the mission.

Liu is joined by mission commander and veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, 45, and crew mate Liu Wang, 43. About three hours after the docking the three were shown on live television entering the Tiangong 1, grabbing handles as they floated along in their blue spacesuits.

They will spend at least 10 days inspaceonChina'sfourth manned mission, which was launched Saturday from the Jiuquan center on the edge of the Gobi desert in northernChina.

Chinais hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to send independently maintainedspacestations into orbit. It is already one of just three nations to have launched manned spacecraft on their own.

Another manned mission to the module is planned later this year. Possible future missions could include sending a man to the moon.

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Could China's Shenzhou 9 success usher in a new space race?

Chinese astronauts successfully docked with a prototype space station, making China only the third nation, after the United States and Russia, to perform such a maneuver.

A Chinese spacecraft carrying three astronauts docked with an orbiting module Monday, another first for the country as it strives to match American and Russian exploits inspace.

The Shenzhou 9 capsule completed the maneuver with the Tiangong 1 module shortly after 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), 343 kilometers (213 miles) above Earth. The docking was shown live on national television.

Astronauts will live and work in the module for several days as part of preparations for manning a permanentspacestation. The crew includes 33-year-old Liu Yang, an air force pilot andChina'sfirst femalespacetraveler.

The docking was a first for Chinese manned spaceflight. In November 2011, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 successfully docked twice with Tiangong 1 by remote control.

Monday's docking also was completed by remote control from a ground base inChina. A manual docking, to be carried out by one of the crew members, is scheduled for later in the mission.

Liu is joined by mission commander and veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, 45, and crew mate Liu Wang, 43. About three hours after the docking the three were shown on live television entering the Tiangong 1, grabbing handles as they floated along in their blue spacesuits.

They will spend at least 10 days inspaceonChina'sfourth manned mission, which was launched Saturday from the Jiuquan center on the edge of the Gobi desert in northernChina.

Chinais hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to send independently maintainedspacestations into orbit. It is already one of just three nations to have launched manned spacecraft on their own.

Another manned mission to the module is planned later this year. Possible future missions could include sending a man to the moon.

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Could China's Shenzhou 9 success usher in a new space race? (+video)

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese astronauts carried out a manned docking with an experimental space module on Monday, the latest milestone in China's ambitious campaign to build a space station. The Shenzhou 9 and its three-person crew, which includes China's first woman in space Liu Yang, linked with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module, with state television showing the pictures live. ...

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China astronauts complete successful space docking

Early this morning at 2:07am EDT the Chinese crew of Shenzhou-9, China's 3-person orbital spacecraft, achieved China's first-ever space dock with their Tiangong-1 space station. In doing so, China became the third country to carry astronauts (or taikonauts) to an orbital space station, and at least a billion people celebrated. The flight also brought with it China's first woman into space.

Shenzhou, which translates roughly to "divine watercraft," made its first flight in 1999. Since that time, China has been racking up space milestones on a consistent basis, following up with manned launches of Shenzhou in 2003, 2005, and 2008 and the launch of the Tiangong-1 module last year. For reasons that have not yet been revealed by the Chinese government, animated depictions of Tiangong's launch were broadcast with an instrumental version of "America The Beautiful." Other than that, there have been few anomalies.

Shenzhouresembles a Soyuz spacecraft in design, with an orbital module on one end, a service module on the other, and a re-entry module in the center, but it's slightly larger. Both the service module and the orbital module are capable of flying autonomously, and both have solar panels for power.

The Shenzhou flies to orbit aboard a Chinese Long March 2F rocket. The Long March series has been around since 1970 and has also been receiving substantial and regular upgrades. The Long March 2F is a liquid-fueled booster first launched in 1992 and later upgraded to be capable of carrying human passengers.

China, having invested strongly in its space program over the last decade, hopes to use the upgraded Long March to make heavy inroads into the international satellite and satellite launch market. The Chinese announced earlier this year that they were aiming at 15 percent of the launch market and 10 percent of the satellite market by 2015, causing a ruckus in the US Congress and small weather anomalies in the office of Congressman Frank Wolf of Virginia (famous for his antipathy toward all things Chinese). The latest Long March 5 rockets are about the size of the Lockheed-Martin Delta 4 and should in theory be capable of supporting lunar missions. The Chinese are currently hoping to launch sample returns by 2020, and manned missions some time later.

China announced its efforts to build its own space station last year after being repeatedly rebuffed by the U.S. from participating in the International Space Station. The Chinese station should be completed by 2020 and would weigh in at around 60 metric tons. For comparison, the International Space Station weighs in at about 450, although it was designed for a larger crew. The Soviet Mir space station, which was de-orbited in 2001, weighed in about 130 metric tons.

In design, the Chinese Tiangong Space Station strongly follows the Russian aesthetic of practicality. It resembles the Russian Mir, but it's a clean sheet design and somewhat larger. Russian space station modules begin with an off-the-shelf pressure vessel meant for a propellant tank, and it's possible that Chinese module designers follow the same practice. Tiangong-1 will be replaced relatively quickly over the next few years with follow-on modules and will itself be de-orbited as the new station takes shape.

The three main goals for this 13-day mission include health monitoring of the taikonauts, research on the effects of weightlessness, and development of overall taikonaut operational capability. These toolset goals are all part of the learning curve for any manned space program. The Chinese will probably require at least a decade to build up their own space capability to the point where safe long-term missions are capable. That's not a problem for them, as the Chinese government is famously capable of making and following long-term plans.

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China now third country to carry astronauts to an orbital space station

16-06-2012 06:36 WIKIPEDIA: The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft arrived at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre on April 9, 2012[1] and its launch rocket arrived on May 9. On June 9, 2012, the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft and its carrier rocket were rolled out to launch pad in Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.[2] Shenzhou 9 will be the second spacecraft to dock with the Tiangong 1 space station, and the first manned docking. The aim of the mission will be to perform a docking with the Tiangong 1. This mission may be followed by the manned Shenzhou 10 which is planned to be launched in 2013. The mission's crew includes the first female Chinese astronaut, Liu Yang.

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Shenzhou 9 launch, China rocket, June 16, 2012 - Video

BEIJING A Chinese spacecraft carrying three astronauts docked with an orbiting module Monday, another first for the country as it strives to match American and Russian exploits in space.

The Shenzhou 9 capsule completed the maneuver with the Tiangong 1 module shortly after 2 p.m. (0600 GMT), 343 kilometers (213 miles) above Earth. The docking was shown live on national television.

Astronauts will live and work in the module for several days as part of preparations for manning a permanent space station. The crew includes 33-year-old Liu Yang, an air force pilot and China's first female space traveler.

The docking was a first for Chinese manned spaceflight. In November 2011, the unmanned Shenzhou 8 successfully docked twice with Tiangong 1 by remote control.

Monday's docking also was completed by remote control from a ground base in China. A manual docking, to carried out by one of the crew members, is scheduled for later in the mission.

Two crew members plan to conduct medical tests and experiments inside the module, while the third will remain in the spacecraft.

Liu is joined by mission commander and veteran astronaut Jing Haipeng, 45, and crew mate Liu Wang, 43. The three are to spend at least 10 days in space on China's fourth manned mission, which was launched Saturday from the Jiuquan center on the edge of the Gobi desert in northern China.

China is hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to send independently maintained space stations into orbit. It is already one of just three nations to have launched manned spacecraft on their own.

Another manned mission to the module is planned later this year. Possible future missions could include sending a man to the moon.

The Tiangong 1, which was launched last year, is due to be replaced by a permanent space station around 2020. That station is to weigh about 60 tons, slightly smaller than NASA's Skylab of the 1970s and about one-sixth the size of the 16-nation International Space Station.

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Chinese spacecraft docks with orbiting module on mission to lay space station groundwork

Washington, June 18 (ANI): A crew of astronauts due to launch to the space station this summer is planning an orbital sporting event to mark the upcoming Olympic Games in London.

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Astronauts to hold Summer Olympics aboard Space Station

The successful launch of China's fourth manned spaceship paves the way for a future space station, which might subsequently benefits the world in space exploration.

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Chinese space station to benefit world

BEIJING -- It might not have been a giant step for mankind, but the launch Saturday of a piloted space capsule to dock with China's space station prototype marked the country's breakthrough into the exclusive club once made up only of the United States and Russia.

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China's launches landmark space capsule

China completed its first automatic space docking on a manned mission Monday, before the three astronauts on board enter an orbiting module -- a key step towards the nation's first space station.

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China in first automatic, manned space docking

BEIJING (Reuters) - A Chinese spacecraft carried out a manned docking with an experimental space module on Monday, the latest milestone in China's ambitious effort to build a space station. The Shenzhou 9 and its three-person crew, which includes China's first woman in space, linked with the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module just after 2:00 a.m. EDT (0600 GMT). State television carried images ...

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China astronauts make successful space docking test

China will send its first woman and two other astronauts into space on Saturday to work on a temporary space station for about a week, in a key step toward becoming only the third nation to set up a permanent base in orbit.

Liu Yang, a 34-year-old air force pilot, and two male colleagues will be launched aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, which will dock with the bus-sized Tiangong 1 space module now orbiting at 343 kilometres above the Earth.

"Arranging for women astronauts to fly is not only a must for the development of human spaceflight, but also the expectation of the public," space program spokeswoman Wu Ping said. "This is a landmark event."

Two of the astronauts will live and work inside the module to test its life-support systems while the third will remain in the capsule to deal with any unexpected emergencies. Wu said the mission will last more than 10 days before the astronauts return to Earth in the capsule, landing on Western Chinese grasslands.

The rocket began fuelling on Friday at the Jiugquan Satellite Launch Centre on the edge of the Gobi desert in northern China, Wu told reporters at the centre. The launch is scheduled for 6:37 pm (1237 GMT) Saturday, she said.

Joining Liu, a major, is veteran astronaut and mission commander Jing Haipeng and newcomer Liu Wang, both air force senior colonels.

"You could say this mission is a combination of the old and the new and coordination between the male and female," Wu said.

Success in docking - and in living and working aboard the Tiangong 1 - would smooth the way for more ambitious projects, including the creation of a permanent space station and missions to the moon, and add to China's prestige in line with its growing economic prowess.

China is hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to have sent independently maintained space stations into orbit. It already is in the exclusive three-nation club to have launched a spacecraft with astronauts on its own.

The Tiangong 1 is only a prototype, and the plan is to replace it with a permanent - and bigger - space station due for completion around 2020.

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China sending first woman in space

BEIJING (MCT) It might not have been a giant step for mankind, but the launch Saturday of a piloted space capsule to dock with Chinas space station prototype marked the countrys breakthrough into the exclusive club once made up only of the United States and Russia.

And as far as womankind is concerned, there was another first. One of the three astronauts in the Shenzhou 9 capsule is 33-year-old Liu Yang, the first Chinese woman in space.

Shenzhou 9 was launched at 6:37 p.m. against a vivid blue sky from the Jiuquan satellite launch center at the edge of the Gobi desert. Televised nationally, the launch prompted a round of applause in the command center as the capsule separated from its carrier rocket and entered orbit.

Todays successful launch is a great first step, CCTV host Kang Hui said. I hope the astronauts will bring us more good news like this in the coming days.

The trickiest part of the 13-day mission will come when the capsule docks with the Tiangong 1 space module, a prototype of a space station about the size of a school bus, which is orbiting approximately 213 miles above Earth. The docking is expected Monday.

The same docking procedure was carried out in November by an unmanned capsule, the Shenzhou 8, but the degree of difficulty is greater when carrying a crew.

The Chinese were excluded from the International Space Station by a vote of the U.S. Congress, citing fear of technology transfers. The Chinese have said they will build their own, smaller station by 2020, the year funding for the International Space Station expires.

Chinas appetite and budget for space exploration appears to be growing as others are getting out of the business.

Ironically, by the time they finish their space station in the early 2020s, the Chinese might be the only people left up there. Absent changes in current U.S., Russian and European space policies, the International Space Station will be decommissioned and deorbited in 2020, analyst Gregory Kulacki noted in a report last week by the Union of Concerned Scientists.

Chinas objective is to test docking mechanisms and life-support systems that will be essential if Beijing is to achieve its objective of operating its own space station. The Chinese, who sent their first man into space in 2003, have also said they want to send a man to the moon. Continued...

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China launches space capsule

BEIJING, June 16 -- The successful launch of China's fourth manned spaceship paves the way for a future space station, which might subsequently benefits the world in space exploration.

Shenzhou-9 spacecraft, carrying two males and one female, will break new grounds for the country's space missions.

All the tests and experiments to be done in this mission will well prepare the country for building a space station in near future.

Two docking tests, one automated and one manual, are critical to operations for the scheduled space station to receive supplies and accommodate astronauts.

The Shenzhou-9 crew will have the longest stay in space, which helps test both the spacecraft and the orbiting module Tiangong-1 for functions and comfort for longer human stay.

More human interest might be added in this mission with the first Chinese woman entering space. A century ago many of them were illiterate, binding their feet small enough to please men and sharing their polygamous husbands with other women.

So far human knowledge on outer space remains limited. Pooling more resources and talents in the cause will no doubt broaden the horizon.

Chinese have contributed several most important inventions to human civilizations, and are now working in aspects of space exploration.

Key scientists of the Chinese manned space mission commented that China presented a more efficient and economic way compared with Russian and U.S. space explorations, while learning a lot from foreign experience. China is willing to share its experience with the rest of the world.

China is the third to establish a mechanism for selecting and training astronauts, next to the United States and Russia. China will offer access to astronauts' training to other countries, especially developing ones.

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Eastday-Chinese space station to benefit world

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China Sends 3 Astronauts, Including a Women, Into Space

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China Sends 3 Astronauts, Including a Woman, Into Space

China will send its first woman into space Saturday along with two other astronauts to work on a temporary space station for about a week, in a key step toward becoming the only third nation to set up a permanent base in orbit.

Liu Yang, a 34-year-old air force pilot, and two male colleagues will be launched Saturday aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, which will dock with the bus-sized Tiangong 1 space module now orbiting at 343 kilometres above the Earth.

"Arranging for women astronauts to fly is not only a must for the development of human spaceflight, but also the expectation of the public," space program spokeswoman Wu Ping said. "This is a landmark event."

Two of the astronauts will live and work inside the module to test its life-support systems while the third will remain in the capsule to deal with any unexpected emergencies. Wu said the mission will last more than 10 days before the astronauts travel back to Earth in the capsule, landing on Western Chinese grasslands with the help of parachutes.

The rocket began fueling Friday at the Jiugquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi desert in northern China, Wu told reporters at the centre. The launch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. (1237 GMT) Saturday, she said.

Joining Liu, a major, is veteran astronaut and mission commander Jing Haipeng and newcomer Liu Wang, both air force senior colonels.

"You could say this mission is a combination of the old and the new and co-ordination between the male and female," Wu said.

Success in docking and in living and working aboard the Tiangong 1 would smooth the way for more ambitious projects, including the creation of a permanent space station and missions to the moon, and add to China's international prestige in line with its growing economic prowess.

China is hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to have sent independently maintained space stations into orbit. It already is in the exclusive three-nation club to have launched a spacecraft with astronauts on its own.

The mission demonstrates China's commitment to "long-term human spaceflight" and marks a test of "the technological capabilities requisite for a future permanent space station," said Joan Johnson-Freese, an expert on the Chinese space program at the U.S. Naval War College in Rhode Island.

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China space program to launch 1st female astronaut

JIUQUAN, China China will send its first woman and two other astronauts into space Saturday to work on a temporary space station for about a week, in a key step toward becoming only the third nation to set up a permanent base in orbit.

Liu Yang, a 34-year-old air force pilot, and two male colleagues will be launched Saturday aboard the Shenzhou 9 spacecraft, which will dock with the bus-sized Tiangong 1 space module now orbiting at 343 kilometers (213 miles) above the Earth.

"Arranging for women astronauts to fly is not only a must for the development of human spaceflight, but also the expectation of the public," space program spokeswoman Wu Ping said. "This is a landmark event."

Two of the astronauts will live and work inside the module to test its life-support systems while the third will remain in the capsule to deal with any unexpected emergencies. Wu said the mission will last more than 10 days before the astronauts return to Earth in the capsule, landing on Western Chinese grasslands with the help of parachutes.

The rocket began fueling Friday at the Jiugquan Satellite Launch Center on the edge of the Gobi desert in northern China, Wu told reporters at the center. The launch is scheduled for 6:37 p.m. (1237 GMT) Saturday, she said.

- Chinese space program spokeswoman Wu Ping

Joining Liu, a major, is veteran astronaut and mission commander Jing Haipeng and newcomer Liu Wang, both air force senior colonels.

"You could say this mission is a combination of the old and the new and coordination between the male and female," Wu said.

Success in docking -- and in living and working aboard the Tiangong 1 -- would smooth the way for more ambitious projects, including the creation of a permanent space station and missions to the moon, and add to China's prestige in line with its growing economic prowess.

China is hoping to join the United States and Russia as the only countries to have sent independently maintained space stations into orbit. It already is in the exclusive three-nation club to have launched a spacecraft with astronauts on its own.

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China sending its first female astronaut to temporary space base

China is preparing to launch three astronauts to live and work on a space station for about a week, a major step in its goal of becoming only the third nation with a permanent base orbiting Earth.

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China set for space station launch