Another first for China's space scientists

Chinese scientists for the first time have successfully positioned a satellite to circle the orbit module of the Shenzhou VII spacecraft.

The BX-1 satellite began circling the module on an elliptical track of 4 x 8 km at 6:14 pm on Sunday, official sources said yesterday.

The satellite was carried aloft by the Shenzhou VII on Sept 25 and launched by the spacecraft into the space two days later after astronaut Zhai Zhigang finished the country's first spacewalk.