The Shenzhou 8 spacecraft was remotely docked with the Tiangong 1 space module (launched on 29 September 2011). This unmanned docking—China's first—will be followed in 2012 with the manned Shenzhou 9 mission, which will perform a manned docking (also China's first) with the Tiangong 1 module. Only the Soviet Union (Russia) and the European Space Agency had achieved automatic rendezvous and docking prior to China's accomplishment.
The landmark rendezvous and docking was carried live by state run CCTV for all the world to watch. The impressive 2 hour long TV broadcast showed simultaneous and breathtaking camera videos from both the unpiloted Shenzhou-8 capsule and the Tiangong-1 space station module as they viewed one another in the cameras field of view and slowly approached together with the lovely Earth as a backdrop.
Mission controllers carefully monitored all spacecraft systems on both Shenzhou-8 and Tiangong-1 as they sped closer at about 20 cm/sec and stopped at several parking points along the way (400 m, 140 m, 30 m) to confirm everything was nominal.
Chinese engineers and on board systems precisely guided the two spaceships and watched for any deviations. In case of any failures they had the capability to radio the vehicles to separate. But no deviations occurred and the autonomous docking proceeded to completion.
The two vehicles will remain docked for 12 days, then unhook and back off about 150 meters and then conduct another practice docking. The second practice docking is being done to gain more expertise and confidence and will be carried out under different conditions and in daylight.
The combined Shenzhou-8/Tiangong-1 orbiting complex weighs about 16 tons, some 8 tons each. Tiangong-1 is 10.4 m in length and 3.3. m in diameter. Shenzhou 8 is 9.2 m in length.
图解神舟八号天宫一号空间交会对接过程
１１月１日清晨，神舟八号飞船从西北戈壁滩成功发射。已进入近地轨道的飞船将于两天内完成与中国空间实验室雏形——天宫一号目标飞行器的首次空间交会对接。
这次交会对接试验将为我国２０２０年左右建立空间站奠定重要技术基础。试验成功后，我国将成为继美国、俄罗斯后第三个完全独立拥有空间交会对接技术的国家。
从酒泉卫星发射中心升空的长征二号Ｆ遥八火箭具有更高的入轨精度，它将飞船送入了初始轨道。
神舟八号将通过远距离导引、自主控制，靠近已在轨飞行的天宫一号，实现两次对接和组合体飞行，随后返回地面。
中国载人航天工程发言人武平说，神舟八号是改进型飞船，具有自动和手动交会对接功能，沿用轨道舱、返回舱和推进舱三舱构型，全长９米，最大直径２．８米，起飞质量８０８２公斤。神舟八号与此前的飞船相比，一半以上设备发生了技术状态变化。其中，新研制设备约占１５％。
