Chinese cargo spacecraft successfully docks with core space station module

Beijing has pumped billions into its space programme in a bid to make up ground on pioneers Russia and the United States, with ambitious projects in Earth orbit and the landing of uncrewed craft on the Moon and Mars.But it was heavily reprimanded by the United States and many experts for a potentially dangerous breach of space etiquette for letting a massive rocket segment free-fall to Earth earlier this month after launching the Tianhe core module.Although Chinese authorities have said they are open to foreign collaboration on their space station, the scope of that cooperation is as yet unclear.But the European Space Agency has already sent astronauts to China to train for work inside Tiangong when it is ready.Earlier this month, China landed its Zhurong rover on Mars, becoming only the third nation to successfully land a craft on the red planet.The rover has begun roaming to study Martian geology -- it is to spend around three months taking photos and harvesting data from a vast northern lava plain.The United States and Russia are the only other countries to have reached Mars, and only the former has operated a rover on the surface.The launch of the Tianzhou-2 was to have taken place just days after the Mars rover landing, but was postponed for technical reasons.