Two Chinese spacecraft in orbit successfully accomplished another high-speed link-up Monday during a second docking demonstration designed to test sensitive optical rendezvous sensors against the harsh glare of the sun.
Monday's test was crucial for Chinese engineers to gain confidence in the country's nascent rendezvous and docking technology before committing to a manned docking mission in the first half of 2012.
The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft disengaged from its Tiangong target module at 1127 GMT (6:27 a.m. EST), backed away to a distance of about 460 feet, then methodically re-approached the Tiangong spacecraft for a gentle docking more than 200 miles above China.
The second contact occured at 1153 GMT (6:53 a.m. EST), then hooks locked the vehicles together a few minutes later.
