AsianScientist (Jul. 22, 2013) – China successfully launched three experimental satellites into space at 7:37 a.m. on Saturday.
According to the state-run Xinhua news agency, the Chuangxin-3, Shiyan-7 and Shijian-15 satellites were boosted by a Long March-4C carrier rocket from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in Taiyuan, the capital of north China’s Shanxi Province. The launch also marks the 179th launch boosted by a Long March rocket.
The three satellites will be used to mainly conduct scientific experiments on space maintenance technologies, says the Center.
Saturday’s launch comes a month after China’s Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft successfully completed an automated docking procedure with the Tiangong-1 space lab.
Previous dockings with the Tiangong station include a manual docking by the manned Shenzhou-9 in 2012, making China the third country besides the United States and Russia to possess space rendezvous and manual docking technology.
The Tiangong-1 space lab will be succeeded by Tiangong-2 in 2015 as a precursor to the building of a space station in 2020.
——
Copyright: Asian Scientist Magazine; Photo: Xinhua news agency.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
