China astronauts mark first manual space docking

[MindMover]

Source: Reuters

Reuters) - China completed its first-ever manual docking between a manned spacecraft and an orbiting lab module on Sunday, putting it a step closer in an ambitious campaign to build a space station.

The Shenzhou 9 and its three-person crew, including the country's first woman in Space Liu Yang, separated about 400 meters from the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module for about two minutes before re-connecting under the manual control of the astronauts, with state television covering the event live.

Rendezvous and docking exercises between the two vessels are an important hurdle in China's efforts to acquire the technological and logistical skills to run a full space lab that can house astronauts for long periods.

The Shenzhou 9 had already conducted an automated docking with Tiangong 1, on June 18, a day after it blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/24/us-china-space-idUSBRE85E0NI20120624?feedType=RSS&feedName=scienceNews&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&dlvrit=309301

[IamK]

1. maybe the US should just buy their rockets from China also... cheaper than NASA.. n/t

[TheMastersNemesis]

2. Thanks To All The American Business Traitors And The GOP Who Made This Possible.

This event is the proof that the GOP and its business allies salute the Chinese flag. They outsourced our space program to the Chinese. Reagan and the GOP turned us into a "third rate" nation in science and technology. And they will turn us over to the Bible thumpers in the end.

This Chinese triumph is a tragedy for the nation. We now cannot put our own astronauts into space. The only good Republican party is a DEAD one.

[muriel_volestrangler]

4. Were "American Business Traitors And The GOP" responsible for the Soviet space program too?

Wow, Reagan must have been more powerful in the 50s than I realised.

You don't think it's possible for a nation of one and a half billion people to achieve the technological level that the Soviets and Americans had 40 years ago without outside help?

[DavidDvorkin]

6. Especially given that nation's record of innovation throughout history.

[Franker65]

3. Good

The more the Chinese accomplish in space, hopefully the more it will encourage the Americans to get back in the game. Might be very good for science in the long haul - well done to the Chinese!

[Meiko]

5. Not to forget

that most of the big problems have already been solved so after stealing what they need this should be pretty easy for the Chinese.