The Mengtian unmanned rover is expected to dock with a radial portal at one end of Tianhe – the astronauts’ main living space – later today
China today launched the last of three spacecraft that will make up its space station, which will be the second operational space station after NASA’s International Space Station (ISS).
The Mengtian unmanned spacecraft – where research experiments will be conducted – was launched by China’s most powerful rocket, the Long March 5B, at 3:37 (09:37 GMT) from the Wenchang launch center in southern China.
In April 2021, China began construction of its space station with the launch of the “Tianhe” chamber, the astronauts’ main living space.
In July this year, it launched “Wedian”, where scientific experiments will also be carried out.
The 23-tonne Mengtian is expected to dock with a radial gate at one end of the Tianhe later today.
However, the space station will take on its final T-shape – with Tianhe in the center and flanked by two lab chambers – when Mengtian is repositioned while in orbit in one of Tianhe’s two side radial gates. ».
At the end of the decade, the International Space Station “closes”.
The completion of the Chinese space station, which is designed for a 10-year lifespan, will be a milestone for China’s space ambitions, as NASA’s ISS will likely cease operations by the end of the decade.
The Chinese space station will also be emblematic of China’s growing influence and self-sufficiency in its space ventures, and a challenge to the United States, following its exclusion from the ISS and other partnerships with NASA.
During the life of the station, China plans to conduct more than 1,000 scientific experiments – from studying how plants adapt to space to the behavior of fluids in microgravity.
International demand for experiments at the Chinese station will also increase if the ISS is withdrawn in the coming years. At least 3,000 scientific experiments have been conducted on the ISS since November 2000.
China has approved at least nine proposals from scientists in countries from Switzerland to India for the first batch of experiments in collaboration with the United Nations space agency.
RES-EMP
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
