Beijing, Nov 1 (IANS) China’s unmanned spacecraft Shenzhou-8 blasted off from a launch centre in the northwestern Gobi desert Tuesday.
The spacecraft took off at 5.58 a.m. from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre.
The spacecraft, carried by a modified Long March-2F carrier rocket, is expected to dock with Tiangong-1 space lab module that was sent into space Sep 29, reported Xinhua.
The spacecraft entered its initial orbit, about 200 km high above Earth, some 20 minutes after its launch, according to the command centre.
Chang Wanquan, commander-in-chief of China’s manned space programme, said the launch of Shenzhou-8 was successful.
The spacecraft has to catch up with Tiangong-1, or Heavenly Palace-1, which is orbiting Earth at a height of 343 km.
The rendezvous and docking manoeuvre will take place within two days and the practice will build up experience for further docking with Shenzhou-9 and -10 in 2012 and the building of a permanent manned space station around 2020.
