China has completed its first docking exercise with two unmanned craft as it ramps up its space presence.
The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft successfully joined with the 10.5 metre-long unmanned Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module in a manoeuvre carried out 340km above earth, marking another milestone in China's efforts to secure a foothold in space.
Premier Wen Jiabao and other senior party members watched the live feed from a command centre in Beijing, demonstrating the importance that the government attaches to China's space ambitions.
Every inch of the Shenzhou 8 docking mechanism was made in China, as were the 600 onboard instruments, with most of them being developed by state-owned enterprises. The latest mission is part of China's overall effort to acquire the technological and logistical capabilities needed to run a full space lab. There will be two similar missions next year, one of which is expected to involve astronauts.
Although China is still some way off the prowess of U.S. and Russian space technology, it is one of only three countries that has ever sent astronauts walking in space outside their orbiting craft - in China's case during a 2008 mission. The nation has set its sights higher still as it plans to deploy its first moon rover in 2012 and is considering the possibility of sending a man to the moon some time after 2020.