CORE CAPSULE OF SPACE STATION LAUNCHED
Sixty years after Yuri Gagarin undertook mankind’s first space journey, China launched the core capsule of its space station from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province on April 29, formally embarking on the construction of one of the world’s largest and most sophisticated space-based facilities.
The multimodule space station, named Tiangong, meaning Heavenly Palace, will have three main components, a core module attached to two space laboratories, with a combined weight of nearly 77 short tons.
The core capsule, Tianhe (Harmony of Heavens), is 54 feet long and is 14 feet in diameter. The craft’s weight is equal to the combined weight of 15 standard-size cars. It has three parts: a connecting section, a life-support and control section and a resources section.
The capsule will be central
to the space station’s future operations, given that astronauts will live there and control the entire station from inside. It will also be used to host scientific and technological experiments.
Construction of the space station marks the beginning of the third stage of China’s manned space program, approved by the government in 1992.
The program’s first two stages had concluded successfully
with six manned spaceflights and two experimental space laboratory missions.
After the core capsule was launched, astronauts on the Shenzhou XII and XIII missions and two cargo ships will be launched within a few months to prepare the module for docking with other parts of the station.
Next year Tiangong’s two space laboratories, two manned missions and two robotic cargo flights will be launched to continue construction of the station.
The entire station is expected to become fully operational around the end of next year and is set to work for about 15 years, mission planners have said.
Once completed, the station will be capable of docking with multiple crew and cargo spaceships at the same time and will also be able to link with foreign spacecraft if they have a Chinese-standard docking hatch.
Upon its completion, the station will be manned regularly by groups of three astronauts in periods lasting several months. During hand-overs to new threeastronaut groups, the station will accommodate up to six astronauts.
“A lot of foreign space organizations have told us they hope we can open our station to their astronauts. Some foreign astronauts have begun to learn Chinese. We will start selecting foreign participants and preparing for joint flights in due course according to the conditions on the station.”
About 65 cubic yards are available inside the vehicle for occupants’ living and work activities — much more room than in the previous Chinese manned spacecraft. Once the two space laboratories are connected with the capsule to complete the Tiangong station, astronauts will have as much as 144 cubic yards in usable space, he said.
Zhang Hao, a senior designer at the academy who took part in the capsule’s development, said the capsule features better living conditions for astronauts than was the case with previous Chinese manned spaceships.
“There are separate quarters for working, sleeping, personal hygiene, dining, healthcare and physical exercises,” Zhang said. “Each astronaut will have his or her own bed and will share a dedicated washroom for the first time. We installed many appliances inside the craft to make their stay easier, such as an air conditioner, microwave oven, refrigerator, water dispenser and treadmill.”
Each astronaut will have a specially designed mobile phone capable of not only making calls between astronauts and with people on the ground, but also remotely controlling the capsule’s internal apparatus, Zhang said.
China is open to working with other countries on its space station project, said Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Agency.
The agency has signed agreements with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs on space station cooperation, Hao said. The two organizations have jointly issued a statement inviting scientists from around the world to submit their research proposals for an opportunity to conduct their own experiments
HAO CHUN
aboard the Chinese station.
“Seventeen countries have confirmed their participation in nine scientific tasks on our station, with related work proceeding well,” Hao said. “We will continue working with the UN’s outer space office to solicit proposals for future scientific collaborations.”
There will be more than 20 cabinets aboard the station reserved for scientific instruments that were designed in accordance with international standards, he said, and they will be available for collaborators.
Moreover, Hao said there definitely will be foreign astronauts on the Chinese station.
“A lot of foreign space organizations have told us they hope we can open our station to their astronauts. Some foreign astronauts have begun to learn Chinese. We will start selecting foreign participants and preparing for joint flights in due course according to the conditions on the station.”