China completes first manned space docking

China successfully completed its first manned space docking, a feat previously achieved by only the US and Russia, The Wall Street Journal reported. Carrying three crew members including China’s first female astronaut Liu Yang, the Shenzhou IX spacecraft on Monday docked with China’s Tiangong-1 space laboratory. The mission followed the country’s first unmanned space docking in November last year. As part of an effort known as Project 921, China aims to complete construction of a space station by 2020, when the International Space Station is expected to stop operation. The US has expressed interest in having the private sector continue operations in space. Though the docking is a significant milestone, analysts said other big challenges lie ahead, including the logistics of keeping human beings alive in space for extended periods.