China has launched an unmanned spaceship, Shenzhou 8, in a bid to place a manned permanent space station into orbit by 2020.

Shenzhou 8 blasted off from the western city of Jiuquan on board a modified model of the Long March CZ-2F rocket and is scheduled to dock with another craft, the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module, about 340km above the earth later this week.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Shenzhou 8 has a length of nine metres, a diameter of 2.8 metres and a lift-off weight of 8.082 tons.

The launch will be followed by two more spaceships – Shenzhou 9 and Shenzhou 10 – which will join Tiangong in 2012.

The station is planned to be launched in three sections between 2020 and 2022 and is expected to be operational by 2028.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Airport Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Airport Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Klayo’s talent and compliance platform tailored for airports has secured the Innovation Award in the Workforce Digitalization category . Learn how its competency gap analysis, integrated compliance hub and data-driven workforce planning are helping airports streamline operations, strengthen governance and engage employees.

Discover the Impact