A Chinese Long March rocket is ready to toss an unpiloted Shenzhou 8 into space to carry out rendezvous and docking with an already orbiting Tiangong 1 target vehicle. Credit: CMSE
China space officials are ready to fly their first space rendezvous and docking tests with the Tiangong 1target vehicle, a craft that was lofted on September 29.
An unpiloted Shenzhou 8 spaceship is scheduled to be launched at 5:58:07 a.m. (local time) on November 1st.
Riding atop a Long March 2F/Y8 carrier rocket launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, Shenzhou 8 is slated to demonstrate automatic docking technology. It will complete its first rendezvous and docking with Tiangong1 within two days after its liftoff.
According to China Manned Space Engineering (CMSE) spokeswoman, Wu Ping, the whole process of rendezvous and docking with Tiangong 1 is divided into five phases: a long distance navigation phase, self-controlling guidance phase, rendezvous and docking phase, assembly flight phase, and a separating and retreating phase.
During the mission of the Shenzhou 8, China and Germany will carry out 17 scientific experiments that are onboard the spaceship.
Two docking tests
Once in orbit, Shenzhou 8 will establish a stable space to space communication link with the target vehicle and then navigate automatically. Once underway, a self-control guidance phase of the spaceship and making contact with Tiangong 1is expected to last two-and-a-half hours, according to Wu. Following this step, the two vehicles will be physically connected to form an assembly, she said.
Wu said in a pre-launch press conference that the assembly will fly for about 12 days before another docking test is to be carried out.
At that time, Shenzhou 8 will retreat 140 meters away from the target vehicle, then rendezvous and dock a second time with Tiangong 1.
After this test is ended — with the two spacecraft separating — Wu reported that the reentry module of Shenzhou 8 spaceship will return to Earth. Tiangong 1 will then ascend to an autonomous flight orbit and convert into long-term operation management mode, she said.
The Tiangong 1 target vehicle is working normally, with everything ready for the mission, Wu said.
The Tiangong1/Shenzhou 8 rendezvous and docking mission is seen as a step in what will be a decade-long effort to place a crewed permanent space station in Earth orbit.
By Leonard David