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Chinese spacecraft dock in orbit
BBC News ^ | 2 November 2011 | Jonathan Amos

Posted on 11/02/2011 7:17:19 PM PDT by QuickSandWillow

China has joined two space vehicles together in orbit for the first time.

The unmanned Shenzhou 8 craft, launched earlier this week, made contact with the Tiangong-1 space lab at 1729 GMT. The union occurred over China itself.

Being able to dock two space vehicles together is a necessary capability for China if it wants to start building a space station towards the decade's end.

Although no astronauts were in the Shenzhou craft this time, future missions will carry people.

Tuesday's procedure (Beijing time 0029, Thursday) took place at an altitude of about 340km. It was automated but overseen on the ground at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Centre.

The vehicles used radar and optical sensors to compute their proximity to each other and guide their final approach and contact. A video feed from orbit showed the final moments of the vehicles coming together.

Shenzhou 8 was the active craft in the docking. It fired its thrusters to push its front end towards the docking port of Tiangong-1. Once the vehicles' docking rings had made a good capture, 12 hooks were deployed to fix the craft in place. Protruding pins made electrical connections.

From first contact to confirmation of a seal took about 10 minutes.

Shenzhou 8 and Tiangong-1 will spend two weeks circling the globe together before Shenzhou 8 heads back to Earth

(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: china; dock; orbit; spacecraft; sputnikeast
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1 posted on 11/02/2011 7:17:26 PM PDT by QuickSandWillow
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To: QuickSandWillow

I can see this bunch with space based weapons


2 posted on 11/02/2011 7:20:26 PM PDT by molson209
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To: KevinDavis

Gemini X redux. They are catching up.


3 posted on 11/02/2011 7:21:28 PM PDT by NonValueAdded (So much stress was put on Bush's Fault that it finally let go, magnitude 6)
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To: QuickSandWillow

Move on, move on, nothing to see here!


4 posted on 11/02/2011 7:24:35 PM PDT by Empireoftheatom48 (Tag line under construction, please mind the gap!!)
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To: QuickSandWillow

Fifty-five years of blood, toil, sweat, money, and lives and Obama ended our space program because it “wasn’t diverse enough.” The Chinese have set a goal of beginning a Moon base in 2026.


5 posted on 11/02/2011 7:29:13 PM PDT by pabianice (")
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To: pabianice

Robert Heinlein must have known this because so many of the place names in the “Moon is a Harsh Mistress” were Chinese.


6 posted on 11/02/2011 7:31:34 PM PDT by SubMareener (Save us from Quarterly Freepathons! Become a MONTHLY DONOR!)
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To: QuickSandWillow
Re: Although no astronauts were in the Shenzhou craft this time...

They mean none... that we know of--

7 posted on 11/02/2011 7:39:46 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: QuickSandWillow

They must have been given all this technology in exchange for democrat fund donations.


8 posted on 11/02/2011 7:41:05 PM PDT by Christian Engineer Mass (25ish Cambridge MA grad student. Many conservative Christians my age out there? __ Click my name)
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To: SubMareener
There is very little that Bob Heinlein... did not know!
9 posted on 11/02/2011 7:41:43 PM PDT by Bender2 ("I've got a twisted sense of humor, and everything amuses me." RAH Beyond this Horizon)
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To: pabianice
"Fifty-five years of blood, toil, sweat, money, and lives and Obama ended our space program because it “wasn’t diverse enough.” The Chinese have set a goal of beginning a Moon base in 2026."

That's just like the coach taking the first place trophy away from the winning team and giving it to a less capable team.

'Course, Clinton giving them MIRV technology among other things was more than a slap in the face for us, as well.

I just can't think of these people as selfish, or stupid or political.

I see them as systematically destroying one of God's greatest gifts to mankind.

10 posted on 11/02/2011 7:42:30 PM PDT by knarf (I say things that are true ... I have no proof ... but they're true)
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To: QuickSandWillow

Paid for by Walmart.

Wake up people. Tariffs.

And a whole lot more. We best stop sleepwalking into catastrophe.


11 posted on 11/02/2011 7:43:25 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (America First)
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To: QuickSandWillow

fake


12 posted on 11/02/2011 7:54:27 PM PDT by Mr. Peabody
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To: QuickSandWillow

They are only about 40 years behind the real space pioneers.


13 posted on 11/02/2011 7:56:25 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: pabianice

“Fifty-five years of blood, toil, sweat, money, and lives and Obama ended our space program because it “wasn’t diverse enough.” The Chinese have set a goal of beginning a Moon base in 2026.”

It must be inspirational to live in a country that can do Great Things. I remember what it was like, vaguely.


14 posted on 11/02/2011 7:57:02 PM PDT by The Antiyuppie ("When small men cast long shadows, then it is very late in the day.")
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To: Mariner

You’re in denial.

Big.

China is about to pass us.


15 posted on 11/02/2011 7:57:24 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (America First)
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To: The Antiyuppie

Yes I remember when everything in every store was not stamped “Made in China”.

The two are related.

Wake up America. Bring back American jobs.


16 posted on 11/02/2011 7:58:41 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (America First)
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To: SubMareener

Robert Heinlein must have known this because so many of the place names in the “Moon is a Harsh Mistress” were Chinese.


Two of my friends kept after me til I finally read that book within the last year. Very interesting. You’re right about the Chinese names of cities on the moon (in the book)... Of course, this wouldn’t have been possible had Clinton and his pals not traded our missile/rocket secrets to China in exchange for campaign cash for his reelection back in the mid-90’s. They should name their first moon base after him — something like “Slick Willie One.” No, “Bubba 1.” :-D


17 posted on 11/02/2011 8:07:03 PM PDT by patriot preacher
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To: patriot preacher

Clinton was a long time ago.

We have not stopped giving China everything, since.

Not even for one day. We are handing the future of the world, to China.

Because we are brainwashed by the LIE of “free trade”.


18 posted on 11/02/2011 8:10:42 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (America First)
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To: QuickSandWillow

Communist China is not our friend.


19 posted on 11/02/2011 8:33:47 PM PDT by CGalen
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To: Cringing Negativism Network

From what I’ve read, China has simply purchased plans and equipment from Russia, improved and modified here and there, and whoop, there you are. Yes, they are in space...but, not having developed it in house, they aren’t “there” yet.
As far as passing us...it’ll be awhile before they are at where we are today. When they hit where we are now, we’ll be farther along...unless we further cripple NASA.


20 posted on 11/02/2011 9:00:31 PM PDT by Imnidiot (THIS SPACE FOR RENT)
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