[Playback] China's first cargo spacecraft docks with Tiangong-2 space lab

Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft successfully docks Tiangong-2 space lab. They will stay together for two months, completing 3 experiments. [Screenshot: China Central Television]

China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 successfully docked with the Tiangong-2 space lab for the first time on Saturday. 

China has taken another step toward its goal of putting a space station into orbit around 2022, by sending its first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 into space on Thursday evening.

The cargo ship will dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab for three times, providing fuel and other supplies to the latter, as well as conducting space experiments before returning back to Earth.

Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft from the perspective of the Tiangong-2 space lab [Screenshot: CCTV]