China’s space station “Tiangong” (Heaven’s Palace) is largely completed after the successful construction of the third and final module. About 13 hours after launching aboard a Long March 5B rocket, the lab module docked at the space station on Tuesday (Beijing time).
The new module, called “Mengtian” (Dreams of the Heavens), is equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment that will be used, among other things, to study weightlessness and to conduct experiments in fluid and fundamental physics as well as materials science. Also on board is the first cold atomic clock for space. If it works, it should eventually allow even more accurate timekeeping.
A team of two men and a woman has been on the space station for six months since June. They will be joined by three more taikonauts (that’s what astronauts are called in China) to complete assembly of the space station by the end of the year.
“Tiangong” is part of China’s ambitious space strategy, which also envisions a manned mission to the moon by the end of this decade. It took a total of 11 space missions to build the 18-meter-long, T-shaped space station, which is about a quarter the size of the International Space Station (ISS).
Must remain in operation for a minimum of ten years
The “Heavenly Palace” must be in operation for at least ten years and continuously manned. Beijing does not consider international cooperation for the operation of its space station, but assures that it is open to foreign cooperation partners. Washington’s 2011 directive banning NASA from any direct collaboration with Beijing contributed to China’s decision to build its own space station.
Space expert Chen Lan welcomed the successful completion of the Chinese space station. The People’s Republic is now “an equal player in space for the US, Russia and Europe,” he said. “From a scientific and commercial point of view, new players are always good (…) Competition always drives innovation.”
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
