Launch from Jiuquan Satellite Launching
Center.
The Tiangong space station (English: Heavenly Palace) can
accommodate three astronauts under normal circumstances and up to six during a
crew change. The station will be T-shaped with the core module in the middle
and a laboratory capsule on each side. Each of the modules will weigh more than
20 tons, with a total mass of the station of about 66 tons. The space station,
which is expected to be completed in 2022, is expected to operate for more than
10 years in low-earth orbit at an altitude of 340 km to 450 km. The
station's core module, named Tianhe (English: Heavenly Harmony), has a
total length of 16.6 meters, a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a launch mass
of 22.5 tons and is currently the largest spacecraft developed by China. The
Tianhe core module will be the management and control center and the main
living room of the crew, and will support some science and technology
experiments. The living space in the core module is approx. 50 cubic meters. In
combination with the two laboratory capsules, the total living space could be
up to 110 cubic meters, according to the China Academy of Space Technology
(CAST). The core module has two berth connections connected to the two
laboratory capsules and three docking connections for the spaceship, cargo and
other crew vehicles. It also has an exit for astronauts to conduct
extravehicular activities. The first laboratory capsule, named
Wentian (English: Sky Inquiry), is mainly used for scientific and
technological experiments, as well as for work and living spaces and emergency
shelters. This capsule is equipped with a special airlock chamber to support
extravehicular activities and a small mechanical arm for the automatic
installation and operation of instruments on the shell of the space
station. The second laboratory capsule, named Mengtian (English:
Heavenly Dream), has similar functions to the first laboratory capsule. It is
equipped with a special airlock chamber that supports the entry and exit of
cargo and instruments with the help of astronauts and mechanical arms. The
Long March-7 rocket and the Tianzhou (English: Sky Ship) cargo spaceship
are used to transport materials, propellants and instruments for the
station. The Long March-5B rocket will launch the core module and laboratory
capsules, as well as a capsule with a 2-meter caliber optical telescope, which
will fly in the same orbit as the space station. The telescope capsule, named
Xuntian (English: Sky Survey), is designed to provide observational data
for astronomical and physical studies to enable scientists to better understand
the universe. It can observe over 40 percent of the sky during its expected 10
years of operation. The capsule can dock with the space station for maintenance
and refueling. |