China Completes Another Part of Its Own Space Station
Article by Arjun Kharpal May 31, 2021 (cnbc.com)
• On May 30th, the China Manned Space Agency’s Long March 7 rocket carried the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft (pictured above) into orbit from the Wenchang island launch site (in Hainan province). The Tianzhou-2 then successfully docked with the Tianhe core module of China’s Tiangong space station. The Tiangong space station will be made of three modules, including the Tianhe “core”, the Tianzhou-2 and laboratories.
• Over the next two years, China will carry out eleven missions to complete the construction of the space station, and to bring astronauts and supplies up as well. The Tiangong space station is expected to be operational by 2022.
• The Tianzhou-2 carried up astronaut supplies including space suits and food, paving the way for China to launch astronauts to the space station. Shredded pork and kung pao chicken are among the food items transported to space, the Xinhua news agency reported.
• The Tiangong space station will rival the International Space Station, a co-operative effort between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. China is not involved. Beijing has put a lot of emphasis on ambitious space projects. Last year, China completed its global navigation system called Beidou, a rival to the U.S. government-owned Global Positioning System (GPS). And an unmanned Chinese spacecraft landed successfully on Mars.
GUANGZHOU, China — China has completed another major part of its own space
station, the latest in a string of ambitious extraterrestrial projects from the world’s second-largest economy.
The Long March 7 rocket carrying the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft took off at 8:55 p.m. local time on Saturday from the Wenchang launch site, according to the China Manned Space agency.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Tianzhou-2 docked with the core module of the space station called Tianhe.
China’s space station will be made of three modules which includes the Tianhe “core,” cargo spacecraft such as Tianzhou-2 and laboratories. China will carry out 11 missions this year and next to complete the construction of the space station, and
bring astronauts and supplies up too. The space station is expected to go into operation in 2022.
The docking of Tianzhou-2 has paved the way for China to launch astronauts to the space station. The cargo spacecraft carried up astronaut supplies including space suits and food. Shredded pork and kung pao chicken are among the food items transported to space, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
China’s first self-developed space station will rival the International Space Station, which is a co-operative effort between the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan, and Canada. China is not involved.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. ExoNews.org distributes this material for the purpose of news reporting, educational research, comment and criticism, constituting Fair Use under 17 U.S.C § 107. Please contact the Editor at ExoNews with any copyright issue.
Beidou, China Manned Space Agency, International Space Station, Long March 7 rocket, Tiangong space station, Tianhe core module, Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft
