{"id":774697,"date":"2023-11-29T13:23:52","date_gmt":"2023-11-29T18:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774697"},"modified":"2023-11-29T13:23:52","modified_gmt":"2023-11-29T18:23:52","slug":"chinas-space-station-seen-from-orbit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=774697","title":{"rendered":"China’s Space Station, Seen from Orbit"},"content":{"rendered":"


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When the Space Age dawned in 1957, there were only two players: the USA and the USSR. The USA won the space race by being first to the Moon, though the USSR enjoyed its own successes. But here we are only a few decades later, and the USSR appears to be fading away while China is surging ahead.<\/p>\n

Nothing\u2019s more emblematic of China\u2019s surge than its Tiangong space station.<\/p>\n

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China is sometimes secretive about its space activities. But not when it comes to Tiangong. China is sharing some images of the space station captured by their taikonauts on Shenzhou-16. Shenzhou is the spacecraft that transports crew to and from the space station, and 16 is the current mission. <\/p>\n

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\u201cIt has made history by realizing the Chinese nation\u2019s millennium-long dream of flying to the stars, of which we, as Chinese, are all profoundly proud.\u201d<\/p>\n

John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n

These are our first high-resolution images of Tiangong, and the China Manned Space Agency released them at a press conference on Tuesday, November 28th. <\/p>\n

China began launching different modules to the space station in 2021, starting with the Tianhe core module. Tianhe provides life support and living quarters for the space station\u2019s crew, as well as navigation, guidance, and orientation for the station.<\/p>\n

This rendering shows the Tianhe core module in space. Tianhe was the first module in the Tiangong space station. Image Credit: By Shujianyang \u2013 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Three more modules follow the Tianhe core: Wentian (2022), Mengtian (2022), and Xuntian in 2024. Wentian contains a laboratory and also fulfills other functions. Mengtian also contains research facilities, while Xuntian is the Chinese Survey Space Telescope (CSST). The CSST is an optical-ultraviolet telescope that China says will outperform the Hubble. <\/p>\n

The CSST will co-orbit with Tiangong and will periodically dock with the space station. <\/p>\n

\"Another
Another image of Tiangong, China\u2019s space station. It\u2019s in Low Earth Orbit between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface. Image Credit: China Manned Space Agency.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) released the images at a press conference in Hong Kong. At the conference, the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, John Lee, spoke about the CMSA and Tiangong. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt has made history by realizing the Chinese nation\u2019s millennium-long dream of flying to the stars, of which we, as Chinese, are all profoundly proud. Through the delegation\u2019s visit, Hong Kong people can share the nation\u2019s pride in China\u2019s manned space development from close range and develop a deeper understanding of the country\u2019s developments in aerospace technologies. The visit exemplifies the affection and support of the Central People\u2019s Government for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,\u201d Lee said. <\/p>\n

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This graphic shows the configuration of the Tiangong Space Station. Image Credit: By Shujianyang \u2013 Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

China needs its own space station in part because the US Congress banned China from playing any role in the ISS. In fact, Congress prohibited any official American contact with the entire Chinese space program. That was due to \u201cNational Security\u201d concerns, which often means spying but could mean anything. So, China built their own. <\/p>\n

China\u2019s list of reasons for building a space station mirrors any nation\u2019s list of reasons: to gain experience in spacecraft rendezvous, permanent human operations in orbit, long-term autonomous spaceflight of the space station, regenerative life support technology and autonomous cargo and fuel supply technology. It\u2019s also a platform for developing technologies for further exploration of the Solar System. <\/p>\n

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This is the third of three new images of the Tiangong space station released by the China Manned Space Agency. Image Credit: China Manned Space Agency.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

China is inviting private space companies to take part in the Tiangong mission to help drive innovation and the development of their own space industry. They\u2019re also considering space tourism. <\/p>\n

Yang Liwei, China\u2019s first taikonaut in space, says it\u2019s just a matter of time before tourists will be able to visit Tiangong. \u201cIt is not a matter of technology but of demand,\u201d Yang told Chinese media last year. \u201cAnd it can be realized within a decade as long as there is such demand.\u201d<\/p>\n

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