One of the most ambitious plan of Beijing to launch its first module of its new space station has been accomplished.
Archa Harikumar H
China launches first section of its massive space station | credits: China National Space Administration
One of the most ambitious plan of Beijing to launch its first module of its new space station has been accomplished.
On Thursday, the Tianhe or 'Heavenly Harmony' unmanned core module was launched from Wenchang in China’s Hainan province on a Large-March 5B rocket. Recently, this China’s space program has returned back the first new lunar samples in more than 40 years and is expecting to land a probe and rover on the surface of Mars later next month.
Launch of Space program has become a source of huge national pride. Premier Li Keqiang and other senior civilian and military officials observed the launch live. CCTV video of state broadcaster showed space programme employees cheering during the launch of the rocket from the launch site through the atmosphere billowing flames.
Minutes after the launch, fairing opened to uncover the Tianhe atop which is the core stage of the rocket, where the characters, “China Manned Space” emblazoned on its exterior. After its separation from the rocket, it will orbit for about a week before falling to earth.
It is reported that there will be at least 12 astronauts who are being trained to fly and live in the station, including veterans of previous flights, newcomers and women with the first ever crewed mission called Shenzhou-12, to be launched by June.
By the end of 2022, T-shaped Chinese Space Station is expected to weigh about 66 tons, which is considerably smaller than international space, which launched its first module in 1998 which will weigh about 450 tons.
Tianhe will be able to connect with the powerful Chinese Space Satellite with a docking port. Accordingly, one could extend it to so many modules.
According to China, it is not going to use its space station for international cooperation on the scale of the ISS, whereas Beijing said it is open to foreign collaboration without specifying the extent of such cooperation.
The country has come a long way since its first satellite launch in 1970. It put the first Chinese ‘Taikonaut’ in space in 2003, and sent a probe in to Mar’s orbit earlier this year. In September 2011, China launched the Tiangong-1 lab, its first prototype module intended to lay the groundwork for the permanent station.