Tiangong space station: How China plans to become the next space power – BBC News

  • Song Wanyuan, Jana Tauschinski
  • BBC correspondent

June 6, 2022 at 8:26 am

image source,BBC; Getty Image; Nasa

Three Chinese astronauts have embarked on a six-month mission to work on China’s new space station. This is the latest step for China to become a leading space power in the coming decades.

Chinese state media reported that the “Shenzhou 14” astronaut crew, already stationed in the Tianhe core module of the space station, entered the “Tianzhou 4” cargo spacecraft at 12:19 on June 6. Next, the astronaut crew will enter the “Tianzhou-3” cargo spacecraft, and will carry out cargo transfer and other work as planned.

What is the “Tiangong” space station?

Last year, China put the first module of the Tiangong space station into orbit. China plans to add more modules, such as the “Mengtian” experimental module, by the end of this year.

Next year, it will launch a space telescope called the Sky Survey. It will fly close to the space station and dock with it for repairs and refueling.

Leave a Replay