China unveils its space station plan
MAY 04, 2011
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.025277
Nature : China plans to deploy its own space station by 2020 as a key part of its human spaceflight program. The proposed three-person station, which will be smaller in mass than either the International Space Station or Russia’s Mir, will consist of an 18.1-meter-long core module, two 14.4-meter experimental modules, a manned spaceship, and a cargo craft. Official state media confirmed that the Tiangong 1 and Shenzhou 8 unmanned space modules will attempt docking in orbit later this year; that maneuver is essential for assembling a station in orbit. If the docking is successful, China will proceed with construction by launching additional modules over the next decade.
© 2011 American Institute of Physics
