China launches first laboratory module to space station
0China launches first laboratory module to space station
China has sent its first laboratory module into space, which will form part of the space station it has built in Earth orbit.
According to the statement made by the Manned Space Program Agency (CMSA), the "Vintien" module was launched from the Vinchang Spacecraft Launch Center on Hainan Island with the "Long March-5B Y3" carrier rocket.
It was reported that the module, which reached the Low Earth Orbit at an altitude of 400 kilometers from the ground, where the space station is located, 8 minutes after the launch, will dock with the station in the following hours.
The 20.5-meter-long module is the largest vehicle China has ever sent into space.
The "Vintien" module, whose name means "seeking the heavens" in Chinese, is planned to be added to the core module of the station's core part, "Tienhi" (heavenly harmony).
It is aimed to be an experimental platform that can also be used as a backup of the core module.
CHINA'S PLAN TO BUILD A SPACE STATION
China is working to establish its own space station, as the United States forbids cooperation in space exploration and prevents its participation in the International Space Station (ISS) program.
Planned to consist of a core module, two laboratory modules and a space telescope, the Tiengong (sky palace) station will be approximately the same size as Russia's now defunct Mir Space Station when completed.
The core module, called "Tienhi" (celestial harmony), which is the main part of the station, was launched into space on April 29, 2021.
It is envisaged that two laboratory modules will be added to the core module to complete the main skeleton. The second lab module, called "Mingtien" (dreaming of the skies), is also scheduled to be sent into space in October.
After the main skeleton is built, the space telescope called "Shuntien" (to travel the skies) will be added to the station as a separate module.
At the station, which is planned to be completed by the end of 2022, a three-person taikonaut team is on duty.