Move over William Shatner. China blasts off into space and makes it back safely after testing the docking mechanism of an unmanned space craft. This is part of an ambitious effort by China to complete a manned space station in less than 10 years. But lest you think that this is the start of a new space race, the official Chinese press assures us that “The concept of a ‘space race’ is now obsolete. International cooperation is the future trend and rivalry between so-called space powers will inevitably give way to more friendly cooperation.”

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/indepth/2011-11/14/c_131246478.htm

China has successfully carried out its first docking exercise between two unmanned spacecraft.The Shenzhou-8 joined the Tiangong-1space lab module 350 kilometres above Earth. Will China’s next space mission be manned?

China Launches Its Own Space Program: It may seem like a small step considering the USA and Russia did this decades ago. But it really is a giant leap for China. China’s presence in space speaks to its growing confidence on Earth! The USA and Russia are finding the cost of their respective space programs increasingly difficult to sustain.

China to launch module for future space station:
China is due to take its first step towards building a space station on Thursday when it launches an experimental module ahead of the country’s National Day celebrations. Watch it all here…

The size of the universe is beautifully illustrated in this video. I hope you enjoy it!

Educator astronaut tells stories of space: Richard Arnold, chosen by NASA’s Educator Astronaut Program to travel to the International Space Station, was the featured guest at Saturday’s Museum of the Rockies’ Astronomy Day.His main message to kids, he said, was just two words: math and science. “We need a citizenry that’s science literate,” Arnold said. “I want to encourage kids to keep doors open by working hard in school and getting good grades.”