{"id":13418,"date":"2012-06-23T03:06:02","date_gmt":"2012-06-23T03:06:02","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2012-06-23T03:06:02","modified_gmt":"2012-06-23T03:06:02","slug":"China-to-conduct-first-kiss-in-space-docking-tomorrow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asiancemagazine.com\/?p=13418","title":{"rendered":"China to conduct first &#8216;kiss-in-space&#8217; docking tomorrow"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>China, which sent three astronauts into orbit a week ago, said they would conduct the nation&#8217;s first manual space docking tomorrow &#8212; a key step to building a space station.<\/p>\n<p>In a brief dispatch, the official Xinhua news agency quoted an unnamed spokesman for China&#8217;s manned space program as saying that the highly complex maneuver would take place at noon (0400GMT) the following day.<\/p>\n<p><strong>If you didn&#8217;t see China&#8217;s lift off, you can see it here:<\/strong><br \/>\n<iframe width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/h9DDnRRgtQ4\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>The technique is hard to master as it involves two vessels &#8212; placed in the same orbit and revolving around Earth at thousands of kilometers per hour &#8212; coming together very gently without destroying each other.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>China&#8217;s current space mission kicked off last Saturday when the Shenzhou-9 spacecraft took off carrying China&#8217;s first female astronaut. <\/strong>Two days later, it came together with the Tiangong-1 module already in orbit around Earth.<\/p>\n<p>China has carried out automatic dockings three times already, <strong>but the main goal of the current manned mission &#8212; China&#8217;s fourth &#8212; is to complete the first manual &#8216;kiss in space&#8217;<\/strong>, which requires great accuracy from astronauts.<\/p>\n<p><strong>China aims to complete construction of a space station by 2020<\/strong>, a goal that requires it to perfect docking technology &#8212; a delicate maneuver that the Russians and Americans successfully completed in the 1960s.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The ability to dock manually is necessary in case of any problems with the automatic procedure<\/strong>, such as the control center being unable to carry it out remotely from Earth.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The team &#8212; headed by Jing Haipeng<\/strong>, a veteran astronaut on his third space mission &#8212; have rehearsed the procedure more than 1,500 times in simulations.<\/p>\n<p>Liu Wang, who has been in the space program for 14 years, will be in charge of manual docking maneuver, while <strong>Liu Yang, China&#8217;s first woman to travel to space, will conduct aerospace experiments during the mission.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>China sees its space program as a symbol of its global stature<\/strong>, growing technical expertise, and the Communist Party&#8217;s success in turning around the fortunes of the once poverty-stricken nation.<\/p>\n<p><em>Source AP<\/em><br \/>\n<!--break--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>China, which sent three astronauts into orbit a week ago, said they would conduct the nation&#8217;s first manual space 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