China launches core module of its own space station Tiangong (Earth, light)
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All in all there will be about a dozen or so flights before the station is finished in 2022.
When finished, it will be clearly smaller than the current ISS, but it only needs to accommodate 2 or 3 people compared to the 6 or 7 on the ISS.
Here is a size comparison:
A lot of the difference is due to the solar panels, which seem much larger on the ISS. But who knows, maybe the ones on the Tiangong are more efficient, after all it is current technology, not two decades old.
By 2024 they will also launch a huge space telescope that will orbit the Earth close to the space station, which will make maintenance easier.
Yeah, it’s a lot smaller than the ISS because it’s built by a single nation. I’m guessing, if successful, the Chinese will fly an international crew there as well.
Yeah, it’s a lot smaller than the ISS because it’s built by a single nation. I’m guessing, if successful, the Chinese will fly an international crew there as well.
Being made for 3 people max, I doubt there will ever be more than one foreigner on board, in addition to one or two Chinese.
Being made for 3 people max, I doubt there will ever be more than one foreigner on board, in addition to one or two Chinese.
Just like on the ISS, where since SpaceX arrived, there are currently more than 6 on board, there could be transitional phases. You’re probably right in saying that there won’t be more than one foreigner on board.
Looks like the core stage of a Long March 5B rocket is expected to slam into Earth's atmosphere Saturday (May 8) or thereabouts, although nobody can pinpoint the date, time or location yet.
Psaki said that, if damage occurs from the Long March 5B debris, the White House will consult with U.S. Space Command and the Department of Defense for advice. But she didn't elaborate on what would happen next.
"At this point, we are certainly tracking its location through U.S. Space Command," Psaki said. "Hopefully, that's not the outcome that we are working through."
The upcoming rocket fall won't mark the first time that a big piece of Chinese debris crashed back to Earth uncontrolled. Another Long March 5B rocket core came down in May 2020, for example. The pieces of that booster mainly fell into the Atlantic Ocean, but some debris hit West Africa, including inhabited villages in Côte d'Ivoire. No casualties were reported then.
Why not? Uyghurs, just like other minorities in China, enjoy affirmative action, i.e. they get preferential treatment. So it is pretty likely that within a few years there will be some Uyghur astronaut visiting the space station.
A little walk through the space station, which is pretty much complete by now (the video was still shot on Earth, I suppose). Looks like from a sci-fi movie, I can almost hear HAL But it looks so empty, sterile, and silent, a bit depressing, I would not want to be up there...
The video is on Telegram, but I guess you can also watch it without the app installed (if you are asked by your browser):
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But it looks so empty, sterile, and silent, a bit depressing, I would not want to be up there...