China successfully launched the last module of its space station on Monday, which should allow it to become fully operational as part of its ambitious program in space.
China’s desire to build a space station was fueled in part by the United States’ refusal to accept the Chinese in the International Space Station (ISS) program, a collaboration between the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan.
The module, named Mengtian (Dream of Heaven), was launched from the tropical island of Hainan (south) by a Long March 5B rocket at 8:27 a.m., according to public broadcaster CCTV. “The Mengtian test module has precisely entered the pre-defined orbit,” a mission official said on television a few minutes later.
The Mengtian T-shaped Tiangong (Heavenly Palace) is the third and final main element of the space station, which is about the same size as the defunct Russian-Soviet Mir station, and is expected to have a lifespan of at least ten years. It should enable China to maintain a long-term human presence in space.
Eleven journeys
Its assembly required a total of eleven tasks. Last Monday made it possible to transport state-of-the-art scientific equipment. The “first cold atomic clock” was sent into space in a remarkable way, welcomed by the official company New China.
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Since June, three astronauts, including a woman, have spent about six months on the Chinese space station. Although China does not plan international cooperation for its station, Beijing has promised to be open to foreign cooperation.
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