China Launches Countries First Space Lab Module Into Orbit
China has successfully launched its first space lab module into orbit in an impressive nighttime display today. The space lab module called “Heavenly Palace” or Tiangong 1 and is the countries first step at building a manned space station. The spacecraft launched just days before China’s National Day holiday, which occurs Saturday (Oct. 1). The module will be used to test docking technology in conjunction with two unmanned spacecraft and one manned flight if all goes well. China expects the planned robotic docking maneuvers will start in November with the launch of Shenzhou 8.
“The main tasks of [the] Tiangong 1 spaceflight include: to provide a target vehicle for space rendezvous and docking experiment; to primarily establish a manned space test platform capable of long-term unmanned operation in space with temporary human attendance, and thus accumulate experiences for the development of the space station; to carry out space science experiments, space medical experiments and space technology experiments,” China’s Manned Space Engineering office spokeswoman Wu Ping told reporters yesterday at the launch site, according to a translation provided by the office.
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