Shenzhou 8 (Chinese: 神舟八号) was an uncrewed flight of China's Shenzhou program,[1] launched on 31 October 2011 UTC, or 1 November 2011 in China, by a Long March 2F rocket which lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

[1][4] Only the Soviet Union (Russia), Japan[5] and the European Space Agency (ESA) had achieved automatic rendezvous and docking prior to China's accomplishment.

[14] Docking took place on 2 November 2011 at 17:28 UTC, during orbital darkness to avoid interference from the Sun's glare with sensitive navigation and rendezvous equipment.

[16] The separation, second rendezvous, and docking occurred on 14 November 2011 and was aimed to test accuracy and reliability of equipment and sensors in a bright environment.

[18] According to Zhang Bainan, the chief designer of China's spacecraft systems, Shenzhou 8 was the last to see significant modifications from previous models.