At 13:18, June 13 (Beijing local time), Shenzhou 10 spaceship successfully realized automatic docking with Tiangong 1 target spacecraft, which has been the fifth successful rendezvous & docking with Shenzhou spaceships since it was launched into orbit in September, 2011.

Under the precise and accurate control of the operators, Shenzhou 10 spaceship experienced many times of orbital transfers. At 10:48, June 13, Shenzhou 10 spaceship entered the status of self-control and approached Tiangong I by way of auto-navigation control mode.

After its docking readiness was finally confirmed by Beijing Space Flight Control Centre, Shenzhou 10 spaceship started to slowly and smoothly approach toward the Tiangong 1. At 13:11, Shenzhou 10 spaceship and Tiangong 1 engaged with docking ring. After a series of procedures of capturing, buffering and correction, pulling back and locking, Shenzhou 10 spaceship and Tiangong I target spacecraft physically connected to form a combined unit.

In the course of automatic rendezvous & docking, the three astronauts Nie Haisheng, Zhang Xiaoguang and Wang Yaping rotated shifts in the re-entry module. They closely monitored the parameters on the spaceship’s instrument panels and the docking process, carefully carried out various instruction operations, and reported about docking status rapidly and accurately through space and ground communication system.

At 16:17, the three astronauts entered into Tiangong 1 to carry out related space science experiments and tests.

 

The astronauts are scheduled to conduct a manual docking with the space module during their 15-day journey in space, as well as give a lecture to Earth-bound students.

China is the third country after the United States and Russia to acquire the technologies and skills necessary for space rendezvous and docking procedures, as well as supply manpower and material for an orbiting module via different docking methods.

The Tiangong-1 space lab has been in orbit for about 620 days. It will remain in service for another three months.

The module is considered the first step in building a permanent space station, which the country aims to do by 2020.