China launches second of three space station modules
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China is assembling its own space station, with the third and last module to be launched in October.
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The rocket carrying China’s second module for its Tiangong space station lifting off from Wenchang spaceport in southern China on July 24, 2022 (Photo credit: AFP)
China launched the second of three modules required to complete its new space station, the latest step in Beijing's ambitious space programme, state media reported on Sunday.
The uncrewed craft, Wentian, was propelled by a Long March 5B rocket at 2:22 pm (0622 GMT) from the Wenchang launch center on China's Hainan.
The "success" of the launch was confirmed a quarter of an hour later by an official from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
People gathered on nearby beaches to take pictures of the launcher rising through the air in a plume of white smoke.
Around eight minutes of flight, the CMSA said that "the Wentian lab module successfully separated from the rocket and entered its intended orbit, making the launch a complete success."
The central module of China's space station Tiangong -- which means "heavenly palace" -- was launched in April 2021. Almost 18 meters (60 feet) long and weighing 22 tons (48,500 pounds), the new module has three sleeping areas and space for scientific experiments.
It will dock with the existing one in space; experts believe it to be a challenging operation that will require several high-precision manipulations along with the use of a robotic arm.
Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics comments, "This is the first time China has docked such large vehicles together, which is a delicate operation," adding that the next module arrives, the space station will have a "rather unusual L-shape" which will take a lot of power to keep stable.
"These are all technical challenges that the USSR pioneered with the Mir station in the late 1980s, but it's new to China," he told AFP, adding, "But it will result in a much more capable station with the space and power to carry out more scientific experiments."
In the event of a failure, Wentian will serve as a backup platform to control the space station.
The third and last module is scheduled to dock in October, and Tiangong is expected to become fully operational by the end of this year; it should have a lifespan of at least 10 years.
Fast-paced space plan
The country's plans for its heavily promoted "space dream" have been put into overdrive under Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China has advanced considerably in catching up with Russia and the United States, where cosmonauts and astronauts have decades of experience in space exploration.
Read: Chinese astronauts conduct second spacewalk on Shenzhou-13
"The CSS (Chinese Space Station) will complete its construction... in one and half a year which will be the fastest in history for any modular space station," said Chen Lan, analyst for the site Go-Taikonauts.com, which specializes in China's space programme, adding that "In comparison, the constructions of Mir and the International Space Station took 10 and 12 years respectively."
In addition to a space station, the country is also planning to build a base on the Moon and send humans there by 2030.
Read: China plans 6 space missions to complete national orbital station
Since 2011, the United States banned NASA from engaging with the country, so China has been excluded from the International Space Station (ISS).
China does not plan to use its space station for global cooperation on the scale of the ISS; however, Beijing has said foreign collaboration is possible.
