Shenzhou-10: A new mission

Shenzhou 10 is a planned manned space flight, and part of China’s continuing Shenzhou Program. CCTV reporter Wu Haojun tells us about some of its key tasks when it arrives in space.

The longest duration in space.

The manned Shenzhou-10 spacecraft will go further than its predecessors in every way. Like the Shenzho-9, it’s tasked with performing a manned docking with the space lab module Tiangong-1.

It will also perform the applied flight and transport cargo to and from the space station for the first time.

Bao Weimin from China Aerospace Science & Tech. Corp. said: "Technically speaking, the Shenzhou-10 has inherited the essence of the Shenzhou-9. The mission marks a step forward from experimental to application. That also means the space to earth transportation system is entering its final stage. With this mission, its performance will be finalized."

The mission will also once again see the combined flight of the spacecraft and the Tiangong-1, and an automatic and manual rendezvous and docking, to further test the technology.

But it also involves a new manouvre -- flying around the orbiting space station. It will allow the practice of docking techniques at different positions on the Tiangong-1.

Zhang Bonan, Shenzhou-10 chief designer, said: "We aim to find out, solve and test certain problems that arise from constructing a space station. That’s one of our main focuses at the moment. In this sense, the Shenzhou-10 is a transitional mission."

The Tiangong-1, is currently working well. It’s been operating in space for nearly one and a half years. It’s now well prepared to welcome the Shenzhou-10 and its crew.