The orbital module is a portion of spacecraft used only in orbit.

The re-entry process began at 19:44 on October 16 when the orbital module separated as planned from the rest of the spacecraft.

The orbital module continued to orbit the Earth, gathering more information from experiments on board.

The orbital module is also called the Habitation section.

Groups of interceptors were to be housed in orbital modules.

They jettisoned the orbital module and made ready for deorbit burn to return to Earth.

The orbital module remained in orbit until September 9, 2003.

He reached for his pressure suit, hanging limp and lifeless on the opposite wall of the orbital module.

But China has already announced that a future mission will try to dock - presumably on a previously released orbital module or another spacecraft.

"It caught the launching of an orbital module, which seems to have had two human beings on board and which descended toward Earth."