Post date: Nov 01, 2011 10:3:47 AM
China-Shenzhou-8/Orbit -- Unmanned Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8 rises to higher orbit
CCTV BEIJING - The unmanned Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8 has entered a higher orbit at 12:51 on Tuesday.
This marks the first change of Shenzhou-8's orbit. The change took place when the spacecraft was on its fifth round around the earth.
The Shenzhou-8 will conduct China's first docking process after four other such orbit changes.
The spacecraft blasted off at 05:58 a.m. Beijing Time Tuesday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China's Gansu Province.
It established a connection with Tianlian-1, a tracking and data relay satellite, when circling around the earth for a second time. At 08:52 Tuesdat when Shenzhou-8 was making the third round around the earth, Tianlian-1 and Tianlian-2 have begun their controlling over Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 respectively. The two spacecrafts will be under the control of one satellite during the docking process.
More downloads available at http://newscontent.cctv.com
For any questions please call +86-10-63969499, or email [email protected]. If you want to learn more, please go to the CCTV website at http://newscontent.cctv.com.
© Copyright CCTV. The content in this story, including video and script is provided by China Central Television (CCTV) and is copyright CCTV. Thomson Reuters does not guarantee the accuracy of, or endorse the views or opinions given in, this package. THIS STATEMENT SUPERSEDES ALL OTHER STATEMENTS RELATING TO COPYRIGHT ATTACHED TO THIS CONTENT.