BEIJING: The unmanned craft, named Wentian, was launched at China’s tropical island of Hainan by a Long March 5B rocket. Later, a China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) official confirmed the launch’s “success.”
CMSA said after about eight minutes of flight, Hundreds of people gathered on nearby beaches to photograph the launcher as it rose through the air. “The Wentian lab module successfully separated from the rocket and entered its projected orbit, making the launch a complete success.”
In April 2021, Beijing launched the Tiangong space station’s central module which translates as “heavenly palace.”
The new module, which is nearly 18 metres long and weighs 22 tonnes, has three sleeping areas as well as space for scientific experiments.
According to experts, it will anchorage with the prevailing module in space, a difficult operation that will require several high-precision manipulations and the use of a robotic arm. “This is the first time China has curtailed such large vehicles together,” said Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He stated that until the next module arrives, the space station will be in a “rather unusual L-shape” that will require a lot of power to maintain stability.
In the event of a failure, Wentian will also serve as a backup platform for controlling the space station. The third and final module is scheduled to anchorage in October, and Tiangong, which is expected to have a 10-year lifespan, is expected to be fully operational by the end of the year.
