China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation

Shenzhou-8 & Shenzhou-8-GC

Long March 2F/G

SUCCESS
Success

Monday, October 31, 2011 · 21:58 UTC

Mission

/01

This is the first docking mission for China's Shenzhou program. Being the first spacecraft to visit the Tiangong-1 space station, it was launched without crew to demonstrate spacecraft rendezvous and docking techniques. The spacecraft docked automatically to the station on 2 November 2011. A second undocking and re-docking to test accuracy and reliability of equipment and sensors in a bright environment was performed on 14 November 2011. Shenzhou 8 undocked on 17 November 2011 and landed safely back on Earth the same day.

Mission Type

Human Exploration

Orbit

Low Earth Orbit (LEO)

Probability

N/A

Status

Launch Successful

Vehicle & Pad

/02

Rocket

Long March 2F/G

Variant: F/G

Launch Pad

Launch Area 91 (SLS-1 / 921)

Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, People's Republic of China

40.958° N, 100.291° E

9

Pad Launches

56

Location Launches

95

Agency Launches

66

Orbital This Year

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