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[jerry113]

http://gbtimes.com/china/china-has-completed-its-space-station-core-module-ready-launch-2018

China has completed construction of what will be the core module of the country's space station, and will launch it from the Wenchang space centre in 2018.

Tianhe-1, the first of three 20-tonne space station modules, was completed by the end of 2016 and has entered a testing phase, according to Bao Weimin of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

Tianhe-1 will launch from Wenchang on a new Long March 5 heavy-lift rocket sometime in 2018, which was developed specifically to allow China to put large space station modules into low Earth orbit.

Bao explained that once in orbit at 393 kilometres above the Earth, the core module would be manoeuvred in order to avoid the larger pieces of space debris, and carry shielding to protect it from smaller, untrackable objects.

Travelling at orbital speeds of around 7 km per second, even tiny pieces of space junk pose a huge threat to spacecraft, as demonstrated by damage to a window on the International Space Station.

The Tianhe module will also feature life support systems including the ability to recycle a high rate of water from respiration and excretion.

The Chinese Space Station (CSS) will also be refuelled and resupplied by Tianzhou cargo spacecraft, the first of which will launch in April on a Long March 7 rocket in order to test on-orbit propellant resupply with the Tiangong-2 testbed space lab.

Bao also told Xinhua (Chinese) that from 2018 to the completion, the CSS project will require more than a dozen launches, likely meant to include Shenzhou crewed missions to the facility.

Two experiment modules named Wentian and Mengtian, also with a mass of 20 tonnes, will follow into orbit via Long March 5 rocckets. Smooth progress would see the CSS completed around 2022.

The two science modules will feature experiment racks focusing on the areas of space life sciences and biotechnology, microgravity fluid physics and combustion, material science in space, fundamental physics in microgravity and other multi-purpose uses.

The CSS will feature two 30-metre solar panels and two robotic arms for construction, repair and docking.

Also expected to be part of the CSS is a free-flying space telescope with a two-metre mirror, dubbed 'China's Hubble'.

The Xuntian module is expected to provide a level of resolution no less than the famous Hubble space telescope, but with a field of view 300 times larger.

Cooperation in space

China last year signed an agreement with the United Nations to open its future space station to spacecraft, science experiments and even astronauts from countries around the world, particularly from developing nations.

Last month the China Manned Space Agency also signed a deal with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) to cooperate on long-term human spaceflight, potentially combining Italy's experience with the ISS and China's future CSS facilities.

China began its human spaceflight programme in 1992, and in 2003 became only the third country to independently put astronauts in space, after the United States and Russia (and Soviet Union).

The CSS is the ultimate goal of 'Project 921', which China aims to keep permanently crewed with 3-6 astronauts for at least a decade.

The space telescope is news to me. That's pretty interesting. Will it be a permanent part connected to the station or is it free flying?

 

[firehawk12]

I still find it odd that the Chinese were never invited to participate in the ISS program.

Having two expensive independent projects seems like a massive waste of resources.

 

[jerry113]

I still find it odd that the Chinese were never invited to participate in the ISS program.

In response, I find it amusing they've developed their own space station and are now inviting others to take part in theirs. I wonder if they'll invite the USA.

 

[PdotMichael]

In response, I find it amusing they've developed their own space station and are now inviting others to take part in theirs. I wonder if they'll invite the USA.

NASA isn't allowed to cooperate with China.

Just another of the many things how the USA isolates itself from the rest of the world.

 

[Auto_aim1]

I still find it odd that the Chinese were never invited to participate in the ISS program.

Having two expensive independent projects seems like a massive waste of resources.

They are worried about China copying their tech (in general I mean).

 

[PdotMichael]

They are worried about China copying their tech (in general I mean).

They were worried for military applications of the Chinese Space Programm, which is rather silly. The same why Intel wasn't allowed to provide China with CPUs for their supercomputers - with the result that China just designed and produced own CPUs for their supercomputers.

 

[Bishop89]

Pretty cool.

 

[yanipheonu]

Maybe Destiny is right, and the first people to really colonize the moon are the Chinese.

 

[WhateverItTakes]

NASA isn't allowed to cooperate with China.

Just another of the many things how the USA isolates itself from the rest of the world.

That's a thing? Huh. Just China or are most of the 'old enemies' on that list?

 

[Jezbollah]

I've long thought that if there was a new Space Race, China would be one of the participants. The advances they have made in recent years have been immense. Three brand new launch vehicles built and launched successfully in the last 18 months, in addition to the new space station shows this.

 

[andythinkpad]

If China can get India to join it would be a huge win. But I don't think India will.

 

[Sunster]

That's good. Put it to good use.

 

[Chaos2Frozen]

Time to leave them all behiiiinnnnnnnddddd~

 

[Chichikov]

That's a thing? Huh. Just China or are most of the 'old enemies' on that list?

Just China, I mean the international space station is like half Russian tech. It's really fucking shameful -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_exclusion_policy_of_NASA

A real shame, humanity as a whole don't spend enough money on space exploration, we can't waste what little we have on such political bullshit (and that's all it is).

 

[Jezbollah]

Just China, I mean the international space station is like half Russian tech. It's really fucking shameful -
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_exclusion_policy_of_NASA

A real shame, humanity as a whole don't spend enough money on space exploration, we can't waste what little we have on such political bullshit (and that's all it is).

Politics drives Space Exploration.

The US didnt go from pinging Alan Shepherd straight up into Suborbital space to landing two men on the moon and returning them in 10 years just for kicks. They did it as a response to the USSR achieving so much before the US, such as Sputnik and Gagarin.

 

[Chichikov]

Politics drives Space Exploration.

The US didnt go from pinging Alan Shepherd straight up into Suborbital space to landing two men on the moon and returning them in 10 years just for kicks. They did it as a response to the USSR achieving so much before the US, such as Sputnik and Gagarin.

You know, even though it's fucking wasteful, I will gladly have another good old space race, it's better than what we have now. But we aren't having it, refusing to work with China does not increase NASA's budget or anything. And again, we're sharing the space station with Russia. This is just some bullshit American internal politics, driven mostly by Republicans (though many Democrats are complicit in this), and it helps no one.

 

[PdotMichael]

What space race?

China is following a decades long master plan while the USA does 180 turns with every new president.
Obama abandoning Bush's plans of returning to the moon gave China a potential monopol for anything moon related in the next decade.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

If China comes out and says: The first to land humans on Mars owns all of Mars. Would that be enough to get a space race going?

 

[Jezbollah]

What space race?

China is following a decades long master plan while the USA does 180 turns with every new president.
Obama abandoning Bush's plans of returning to the moon gave China a potential monopol for anything moon related in the next decade.

You're not wrong about Obama's policy when it comes to Space - and the various presidencies inconsistencies hurting the longer term goals.

Unfortunately NASA's aspirations have been hurt by return on investment being paramount. Landing rovers on Mars is cheaper and more appealing than doing anything to expand manned achievement. This is why SpaceX made NASA look a bit foolish when they say they're going to send two space tourists further from Earth than anyone in history..

If China comes out and says: The first to land humans on Mars owns all of Mars. Would that be enough to get a space race going?

Landing Men on Mars, maybe. The Outer Space Treaty forbids anyone claiming Mars if they land there.

 

[TheBowen]

One step closer to the science victory.

It's cool though, I like to see other countries advance in space tech.

 

[Lexxism]

Landing Men on Mars, maybe. The Outer Space Treaty forbids anyone claiming Mars if they land there.

China don't care.

 

[darkwing]

just imagine if the defense budget of the US was used for NASA

 

[Kraftwerk]

just imagine if the defense budget of the US was used for NASA