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China Now 3rd Country to Complete Space Feat

Crew to spend 6 days on space lab after successful docking

By Mark Russell,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 18, 2012 6:33 AM CDT

(Newser) – China has officially joined the US and Russia as just the third country in the world to have completed a manned space docking, reports CNN. Earlier today the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft docked with the orbiting Tiangong-1, the next step in the Middle Kingdom's ambitious five-year plan for space exploration. The three-person crew, which includes China's first female astronaut, will spend six days on the Tiangong-1 performing "scientific experiments, technical tests, and physical exercises," according to China's official news agency. You can get a full run-down of China's space plans over at NASA Space Flight.

China's astronauts Jing Haipeng, center, Liu Wang, left, and Liu Yang sit inside the Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft while conducting docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module earlier today.
China's astronauts Jing Haipeng, center, Liu Wang, left, and Liu Yang sit inside the Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft while conducting docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module earlier today.   (AP Photo/Beijing Aerospace Control Center via Xinhua)
China's Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft, left, conducts docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module shortly after 2 p.m. Beijing time earlier today.
China's Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft, left, conducts docking with the Tiangong-1 space lab module shortly after 2 p.m. Beijing time earlier today.   (AP Photo/Beijing Aerospace Control Center via Xinhua)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 7 comments
boxcar
Jun 23, 2012 9:52 PM CDT
The difficulty of DOCKING in space depends on ability to CALIBRATE spacecraft thrusters. RocketDyne's top scientists accomplished this design in 1964 and Gemini proved its worth by DOCKING in space shortly after I designed their instrument that combined an accelerometer nested among 4 strain gauges linked together in a wheatstone bridge for precision measurement of thruster reaction forces. By tuning the accelerometer output we could subtract out "ringing" that occurs with thruster forces to result in calibration of the IMPULSE (which is integral of Force x Time) or NO ONE was going to the moon. Turns out the optimum size nut to use for a tight fit of components was a #5 screw. No one used #5 screws, but after the checker finished reviewing my design he had to concede I was right.#4  too small, #6 too big. Impulse it could measure was over a range of a turntable arm settling onto a record up to a sledge hammer blow- We covered the gambit and Gemini was a successful docking. Point is- the design task is so difficult to do, only 3 nations have accomplished it in 50yrs- Its also the REAL reason the Shuttle broke up over Texas on re-entry- Something went wrong with the thrusters, either not calibrated properly or S/W was out of sequence because there are photos of the Shuttle in re-entry coming in SIDE WISE and that don't work out too well for anyone onboard
finkster
Jun 19, 2012 2:25 AM CDT
And soon a fourth country will join the ranks in space Jews In Space!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAZhtT-dUyo 
JoeQ
Jun 18, 2012 11:36 AM CDT
It proves that they can hurl big heavy things in any old trajectory they feel like.  One good thing: Having people up there might make them a little more concerned about making lots of space junk.

 
China • Tiangong-1 • China space program • Shenzhou 9

 
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