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Shenzhou XI spacecraft docks with Tiangong II space lab
18 2016-10-19 10:53:15 作者：
BEIJING -- The Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft successfully completed its automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong II space lab at 3:31 am Wednesday Beijing Time, according to Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).
The graphics shows the procedure of Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft automated docking with Tiangong II space lab on Oct. 19, 2016
BEIJING -- The Shenzhou XI manned spacecraft successfully completed its automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong II space lab at 3:31 am Wednesday Beijing Time, according to Beijing Aerospace Control Center (BACC).
Shenzhou XI, which was launched Monday morning from northwest China's Gobi Desert, began to approach Tiangong-2 automatically at 1:11 am Wednesday and made contact with the space lab at 3:24 am.
The rendezvous took place in the orbit about 393 kilometers above Earth.
Shenzhou XI, which was launched Monday morning from northwest China's Gobi Desert, began to approach Tiangong-2 automatically at 1:11 am Wednesday and made contact with the space lab at 3:24 am.
The rendezvous took place in the orbit about 393 kilometers above Earth.
The two astronauts aboard Shenzhou XI, Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, monitored and reported on the docking operation, relaying their findings to the control center.
According to the mission schedule, once they enter the space module, the astronauts will stay there for 30 days.
Shenzhou XI, China's sixth manned spacecraft, will undertake the longest-ever space mission in the country. The two astronauts will spend a total of 33 days in space.
Sun Jun, deputy chief engineer of BACC, told Xinhua that the precision needed for the orbit prediction and automated docking calculation was much higher than previous docking missions.
China is the third country, after the United States and Russia, to complete successfully space rendezvous and docking procedures.
Tiangong-2 was sent into space on Sept 15. It is hailed as China's first space lab "in the strict sense" and a key step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to accomplish by 2020.
According to the mission schedule, once they enter the space module, the astronauts will stay there for 30 days.
Shenzhou XI, China's sixth manned spacecraft, will undertake the longest-ever space mission in the country. The two astronauts will spend a total of 33 days in space.
Sun Jun, deputy chief engineer of BACC, told Xinhua that the precision needed for the orbit prediction and automated docking calculation was much higher than previous docking missions.
China is the third country, after the United States and Russia, to complete successfully space rendezvous and docking procedures.
Tiangong-2 was sent into space on Sept 15. It is hailed as China's first space lab "in the strict sense" and a key step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to accomplish by 2020.
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