In a few months, China will start assembling its 60-tonne space station in the earth’s orbit. This year’s mission will deliver the 18.1-meter long core module, which will be appended with two other modules in subsequent manned missions. The China Manned Space Engineering Office also confirmed their plans of building a cargo
space ship for transporting supplies to furnish the space station. The space station is presently named “Tiangong” meaning heavenly palace, and the cargo ship is called Shenzhou (divine vessel).
These names, however, might only be temporary, as the authorities have urged the Chinese public to suggest names and symbols to adorn the space station.
Scheduled to be complete by 2020, the space station will be used to carry out experiments in astronomy, microgravity and biology. It might be the only functional space station in the next decade, as there are plans to decommission the International Space Station (ISS) by that time.
Pang Zhihao, deputy editor-in-chief, Space International told China’s state news agency Xinhua: “The 60-ton space station is rather small compared to the International Space Station (419 tons), and Russia’s Mir Space Station (137 tons) which served [until] 2001. But it is the world’s third multi-module space station, which usually demands much more complicated technology than a single-module space lab.”
Some experts have accused China’s rapidly progressing space programme as being politically-motivated. Guardian reported that a Nasa adviser described this latest project as a “potent political symbol”.
China has been in negotiations with other countries about “Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space”, a draft treaty that it jointly submitted with Russia in 2008. Issues about weapons in space were also raised in China’s recent National defence white paper.