China launched its Shenzhou-9 manned spacecraft at 6:37 pm on June 16, 2012, sending the country's first female astronaut into space.

Three astronauts, Jing Haipeng, Liu Wang and Liu Yang boarded the spacecraft.

Shenzhou-9 was thrust into space to dock with the orbiting Tiangong-1, China’s experimental space lab. This was China's first manned docking mission. Two docking tests, one automated and one manual, were accomplished between Shenzhou-9 and Tiangong-1.

It was also the first time Chinese astronauts, mission commander Jing Haipeng, crew mate Liu Wang, and China's first female astronaut Liu Yang, boarded Tiangong-1.

The mission successfully transported astronauts and supplies to the space lab from Earth.

The mission was China's first manned orbital rendezvous, and meant the country was now fully capable of transporting humans and cargo to an orbiter in space, which is essential for building a space station.