Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s 60-ton medium-size space station is depicted in this artwork.
Credit: CNSA

China is supporting a national day of space – a date selected that salutes the country’s first satellite launching back in 1970.

April 24^th will also note China’s ongoing aerospace activities as it marks the 60^th anniversary of progress in that arena.

Space station module

Meanwhile, China’s state-run Xinhua news agency has reported that the core module of its space station – due for launch around 2018 — will be tagged “Tianhe-1” – a Chinese word for Milky Way or Galaxy.

Xinhua reports that Wang Zhongyang from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. says that two space labs will be launched later and dock with Tianhe-1.” Wang adds that the construction of the space station “is expected to finish in 2022.”

That core module is to be orbited by the yet-to-fly Long March 5 booster headed for its maiden shakeout flight this September.

Wang points out that a space telescope akin to the Hubble Space Telescope will “be in a separate space unit and share orbit alongside the space station.” He also notes that if the International Space Station is retired by 2024, “China’s new space station will be the only operational one in outer space.”

Next piloted flight

Artist’s concept of the Tiangong-1 in Earth orbit. A Tiangong-2 is being readied for liftoff this September.
Credit: CMSA

Coming up this year is launch of the piloted Shenzhou 11 and Tiangong 2 space lab. This second space lab is to rocket into space in September.

A month later, Shenzhou 11 is slated to carry two astronauts that will dock with Tiangong 2.

In 2017, the maiden flight of China’s cargo ship, Tianzhou 1, is to dock with Tiangong 2. This supply ship is to be boosted by the Long March 7, a launcher also set to debut this year.