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Chinese astronauts go hands-on, manually dock with orbiting module
Looks like China continues to add to its space cred after recently joining the rarefied ranks of countries that have successfully docked craft in the final frontier. Fresh off from the recent joining of the Shenzhou 9 capsule with the Tiangong 1 orbiting module, China's three astronauts have now replicated the feat manually, according to the Washington Post . For the uninitiated, the first docking was done via remote control from the ground. The mission has had plenty of firsts for China so far, including the country's first female astronaut. It also serves as a precursor to establishing China's first permanent space station, a 60-ton facility that's about a sixth of the size of the International Space Station but is slightly bigger than NASA's old Skylab. 'Cause sometimes, you just gotta have your own space in space, you know? [Image credit: Associated Press]
China conducts its first crewed spaceship docking, gives east Asia its place in space (updated)
Believe it or not, the only countries to have docked a human-helmed spacecraft in the first 50 years of spaceflight were Russia and the US. That small community just got bigger, as China's Shenzhou-9 has successfully docked with the Tiangong-1 module put in orbit for just such a test. The link-up is being used for experiments in the short term, but it's a key step in a program that will ultimately lead to a full-fledged Chinese space station. On top the wider ambitions, the docking also marks a victory for gender-neutral space travel: Liu Yang, one of three crew members, is the country's first female spacefarer. China's space program has a long road ahead, but it's clear the International Space Station won't be alone for much longer. Update: Yes, China more accurately covers east Asia, not just the southeast. Our apologies!
