China’s space station, Tiangong, is set to welcome its first crew of three astronauts on June 16, 2023. The mission, known as Shenzhou-15, will be the first of a planned six crewed missions to complete the construction of the space station..
The launch of Shenzhou-15 is scheduled for 11:08 UTC from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China. The crew will consist of commander Fei Junlong, and astronauts Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu..
The astronauts will spend six months on the Tiangong space station, conducting experiments and maintenance work. They will also be responsible for preparing the station for the arrival of future modules, including a science module and a large optical telescope..
The Tiangong space station is a modular structure consisting of three main modules: the core module Tianhe, the laboratory module Wentian, and the experimental module Mengtian. The core module was launched in April 2021, followed by the laboratory module in July 2022. The experimental module is scheduled to be launched in October 2023..
Once the construction of the space station is complete, it will be capable of supporting a crew of up to six astronauts for long-duration missions. The station will also be used as a testbed for new technologies and as a platform for conducting scientific research..
China’s space station program is a major undertaking that represents the country’s growing ambitions in space. The completion of the space station will be a significant milestone in China’s space program and will allow the country to conduct a wide range of space activities, including manned missions to the Moon and Mars..
Here is a timeline of the major events in China’s space station program:.
* April 2021: Launch of the core module Tianhe.
* July 2022: Launch of the laboratory module Wentian.
* June 2023: Launch of the experimental module Mengtian.
* December 2023: Completion of the construction of the space station.
* 2024: Launch of the first crewed mission to the space station.
* 2025: Launch of the first manned mission to the Moon from the space station.
* 2030: Launch of the first manned mission to Mars from the space station.
China’s space station program is a significant undertaking that represents the country’s growing ambitions in space. The completion of the space station will be a major milestone in China’s space program and will allow the country to conduct a wide range of space activities, including manned missions to the Moon and Mars..
