China launches unmanned space lab in Earths orbit

China's first space laboratory module launched Thursday, according to state-run media, an important milestone in China's plan to build a space station.

China's Xinhua news agency showed a picture of President Hu Jintao watching the launch of Tiangong-1 at Beijing Aerospace Control Center along with Communist Party officials.

Tiangong means "heavenly palace" in Chinese. It lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in Gansu Province, northwest China.

The module was on a carrier rocket, called the Long March 2F T1.

The 8.5-ton lab module is part of an experiment to test space rendezvous and docking capabilities, essential for the operation of a manned space platform.

Opinion: Make China our new partner in space

Wu Ping, spokesperson for the China Manned Space Engineering Project, told a press conference before the launch that the effective volume of the experiment module is about 15 cubic meters, which could potentially accommodate three astronauts.

Tiangong-1 was originally scheduled to launch at the end of August but was postponed after the failure of another satellite launch.

When the module successfully enters its low Earth orbit, an unmanned spacecraft -- Shenzhou-8 -- will be sent into space to dock with it.

The two spacecraft will fly for about 12 days after the first docking, before conducting another docking test at an appropriate time in flight, Xinhua reported.

After the two tests, the Shenzhou-8 will return to Earth and the Tiangong-1 will rise to its original orbit to wait for the next docking test.

China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003, the first stage in a "three-step" strategy to develop its manned engineering project.

The launch of Tiangong-1 is the second step. If successful, it will be followed by the last phase: to build a permanent space lab that will allow astronauts to conduct long-term space experiments.

"It is of great significance for the realization of the three-step Strategy of China Manned Space Engineering Project and the promotion of sustainable development of manned space flight." said Wu.

According to Xinhua, Beijing hopes to build a space station by around 2020.

China is not part of the project that maintains the International Space Station (ISS), which currently orbits the Earth conducting experiments in a range of fields, from physics to astronomy.

The ISS is a joint venture between NASA, Russia's RKA space agency, Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency, the European Space Agency and the Canadian CSA.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• China
• launches
• unmanned
• space
• lab
• robot
• alien
• aliens
• electronics
• technology
• gadget

[ipfreak]

cnn, as usually, just can't face the fact. china was, deliberately, excluded iss project!!!

[seebuslove]

What US shall change is not to be selfish, shall think the benefit of cooperate with China more than disadvantage, because China is going to do whatever they will according to their plan without support & cooperation with US, meanwhile others nation like German, Brasil had already cooperated with China to gain the benefit. From this point, US is foolish, stupid, & selfish nation that only thinking their own benefit, will be loser.

[libaicn]

@btrask3 Dude, Chinese are really smart, don't u know, can you image how many Chinese Engineers are in the U.S. labs doing research for U.S.

[Standuble]

@CognitiveNetwork The problem is that the USA's space programme has been poorly funded since the 1970s so you probably only go about 10-20 years of decent space manufacturing out of that time, the rest was just budget cuts and bureaucracy. If China goes at full steam (plus not having to research the stuff the USA did) then they'll catch up sooner than you think.

[CognitiveNetwork]

By 2020, they will have a manned space station. No offence, but... you're like 56 years behind USA.

[MalyChinese]

ALWAYS STAND UP BY YOURSELF !

[MalyChinese]

ALWAYS STAND UP BY YOURSELF !

[btrask3]

So I wonder who gave China the technology?

[Standuble]

@levierdragon I would bang her.

The world needs to cut the political bullcrap with space travel, unless the US fears China will build a base on the moon (straight from a 1960s Soviet fear.) I guess it can't be helped, even if China was in the ISS it would still be calling the shots. The whole Western world has found itself suckling China's enormous teats and it just can't stop.