 Niu Hongguang, the deputy chief commander of the China Manned Space Engineering Project, stated that Shenzhou 9 would dock with Tiangong-1 before August 2012.The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft was delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for launch preparations on 9 April 2012, while its Long March 2F carrier rocket arrived a month later on 9 May.Shenzhou 9 launched successfully on 16 June 2012, carrying with it China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang.