On September 29, 2011 at 13:16 UTC the "Chang Zheng-2FT” (Long March) rocket-carrier was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gansu Province.
The rocket orbited the "Tiangong-1” unmanned space lab module.
The launch paves the way for China's first rendezvous and docking mission. An unmanned Shenzhou-8 spaceship will be launched in November to dock with Tiangong-1. The 8.5-tone module will remain in the orbit for two years, operating mainly in an unmanned regime. It is also capable of carrying up to three astronauts for 20 days. Attachments: | 
