Photo: CNSA
And now we can say the modern space race is on: for the first time ever, humanity is about to have two major orbital stations in place simultaneously.
On April 29, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) launched the massive Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in the Hainan province. On top of it sat the core capsule of the space station the Chinese have now officially started building.
The capsule, called Tianhe (which would be Harmony of Heavens), is the largest and heaviest space object China has ever built. It weighs 22.5 tons, is close to 17 meters long (56 feet), and has a diameter of 4,2 meters (14 feet). It is the section of the space station that will house the astronauts and control stations.
Tianhe will be deployed in orbit at an altitude of 400 km (249 miles), and it will eventually be linked to two space laboratories for a total weight of 70 tons. Separately, a space telescope will be launched to study the stars and, if need be, dock with the station.
The orbital laboratory was designed to accommodate three astronauts at a time for long periods and even six for short periods when crew rotation is performed. It will be able to dock with both Chinese and foreign spacecraft.
China plans to have the station, which is to be named Tiangong (Heavenly Palace), up and running by the end of next year and plans to keep it operational for at least 15 years. To stick to the calendar, the Chinese will launch the Shenzhou XII and XIII crewed missions and two cargo ships this year. In 2022 China will get up there the remaining two modules.
The space station is the culmination of a nearly 30-year old plan to make China a space power. Up next, we hear rumors of moon space stations and even bases on the ground.
The capsule, called Tianhe (which would be Harmony of Heavens), is the largest and heaviest space object China has ever built. It weighs 22.5 tons, is close to 17 meters long (56 feet), and has a diameter of 4,2 meters (14 feet). It is the section of the space station that will house the astronauts and control stations.
Tianhe will be deployed in orbit at an altitude of 400 km (249 miles), and it will eventually be linked to two space laboratories for a total weight of 70 tons. Separately, a space telescope will be launched to study the stars and, if need be, dock with the station.
The orbital laboratory was designed to accommodate three astronauts at a time for long periods and even six for short periods when crew rotation is performed. It will be able to dock with both Chinese and foreign spacecraft.
China plans to have the station, which is to be named Tiangong (Heavenly Palace), up and running by the end of next year and plans to keep it operational for at least 15 years. To stick to the calendar, the Chinese will launch the Shenzhou XII and XIII crewed missions and two cargo ships this year. In 2022 China will get up there the remaining two modules.
The space station is the culmination of a nearly 30-year old plan to make China a space power. Up next, we hear rumors of moon space stations and even bases on the ground.
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