China spacecraft returns to Earth after docking test

A view of China's Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module (top L) just before it docks with the Shenzhou 8 spacecraft (top R) is seen on a monitoring screen showing a computer animation (bottom) of the docking process at the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center November 3, 2011 China successfully carried out its first docking exercise on Thursday between two unmanned spacecraft, a key test of the rising power's plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft joined the Tiangong 1 module about 340 km (211 miles) above Earth, in a maneuver carried live on state television.The 10.5 meter-long unmanned Tiangong, launched on September 29, is part of China's preparations for a space laboratory at some point in the future. REUTERS/CCTV via Reuters TV

BEIJING (Reuters) — An unmanned Chinese spacecraft returned to Earth successfully on Thursday after more than two weeks in orbit, marking a pivotal moment for the rising power's plans to secure a long-term manned foothold in space.
The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft touched down in northern China's Inner Mongolia region after a fiery return to Earth, a live broadcast on Chinese television showed.
The spacecraft's return is the latest show of China's growing prowess in space, alongside its growing military and diplomatic influence, at a time when budget restraints and shifting priorities have held back U.S. manned space launches.
The spacecraft was part of China's first docking exercise on November 3, when it joined the Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) 1 module about 340 km (210 miles) above Earth.
The unmanned Tiangong module, which is 10.5 meters (35 feet) long, launched on September 29, is part of China's exploratory preparations for a space lab.
China aims to have a fully fledged space station by about 2020.
However, it is still far from catching up with the established space superpowers: the United States and Russia.
Russia, the United States and other countries jointly operate the 400-tonne International Space Station, to which China does not belong.
But the United States will not test a new rocket to take people into space until 2017, and Russia has said manned missions are no longer a priority.
China launched its first manned space mission in 2003 when astronaut Yang Liwei orbited Earth 14 times. It launched its second moon orbiter last year after becoming only the third country to send its astronauts walking in space outside their orbiting craft, in 2008.