Tiangong-2

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Tiangong-2 Space Laboratory
天宫二号太空实验室
A display model of Tiangong-1 docked to the Shenzhou spacecraft.
Station statistics
COSPAR ID2016-057A
SATCAT no.41765
Crew2 (from Shenzhou 11, 19 October 2016 – 17 November 2016)
Launch15 September 2016, 22:04:09 (UTC+8)
Launch padJiuquan LA-4/SLS-1
Mass8.6 t (9.5 tons)
Length10.4 m (34 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Pressurised volume14 m3 (490 cu ft)[1]
Periapsis altitude369.65 km (229.69 mi)
Apoapsis altitude378.4 km (235.1 mi)
Orbital inclination42.79°
Orbital speed7.68 km/s (4.77 mi/s)
Orbital period92 minutes
Statistics as of 2016-09-22 00:00:00 UTC
References:[2][3][4][5][6]
Tiangong-2
Simplified Chinese天宫二号
Traditional Chinese天宮二號
Literal meaningCelestial Palace-2 or Heavenly Palace-2
Space Laboratory
Simplified Chinese空间实验室
Traditional Chinese空間實驗室
Literal meaningSpace Laboratory

Tiangong-2 (Chinese: 天宫二号; pinyin: Tiāngōng èrhào; lit. 'Celestial Palace 2') is a Chinese space laboratory and part of the Project 921-2 space station program. Tiangong-2 was launched on 15 September 2016.[7]

Tiangong-2 is neither designed nor planned to be a permanent orbital station; rather, it is intended as a testbed for key technologies that will be used in the Chinese large modular space station, which is planned for launch between 2019 and 2022.[8]

History

The China Manned Space Engineering Office published a brief description of Tiangong-2 and its successor Tiangong-3 in 2008, indicating that at least two crewed spaceships would be launched to dock with Tiangong-2.[2]

Tiangong-2 was originally expected to be launched by the China National Space Agency by 2015[9] to replace the prototype module Tiangong-1, which was launched in September 2011.[10] In March 2011, Chinese officials stated that Tiangong-2 was scheduled to be launched by 2015.[9][11] An uncrewed cargo spacecraft will dock with the station,[9] allowing for resupply.[12]

In September 2014, its launch was postponed to September 2016.[13] Plans for visits in October 2016 by the crewed mission Shenzhou 11 and the uncrewed resupply craft Tianzhou were made public.[14] The station was successfully launched from Jiuquan aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September 2016.[15] Shenzhou 11 successfully docked with Tiangong-2 on 19 October 2016.[16]

Aboard the Shenzhou 11, launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, were Commander Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong who formed the inaugural crew for the space laboratory.[17] It was China's first manned mission for more than three years.

During the 30 days the two astronauts were aboard Tiangong-2, they conducted a number of scientific and technical experiments on the physiological effects of weightlessness, tests on human-machine collaboration on in-orbit maintenance technology and released an accompanying satellite successfully. Accompanying photography and near-distance fly-by observation were also carried out. They collected abundant data and made some achievements in programs of gamma-ray burst polarimeter, space cold atomic clock and preparation of new materials.[18]

Shenzhou 11 separated from the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab on November 17, reentry module landed successfully at the expected site in central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at about 13:59 Beijing Time.[18]

On April 22, 2017, the cargo vessel Tianzhou-1 successfully docked with Tiangong-2 marking the first successful docking and refuelling with the orbiting space laboratory.[19] It subsequently performed a second docking and refueling on June 15, 2017. On September 12, 2017, Tianzhou-1 performed the third and final docking and refuelling with Tiangong 2, with what is termed a fast docking which took 6.5 hours, rather than 2 days, to complete.[20]

In June 2018, Tiangong 2 performed orbital maneuvers lowering the orbit to 292 × 297 kilometers, likely in preparation for deorbiting. It has since returned to its usual orbit.[21][22]

Dimensions

The dimensions of Tiangong-2 are:

  • Crew size: 2, with 30 days of life support resources.[11] The crew (from Shenzhou 11, October 2016) consists of two astronauts.
  • Length: 10.4 metres (34 ft).[2]
  • Maximum diameter: 4.2 metres (14 ft).[2]
  • Mass: 8,600 kilograms (19,000 lb).[4]

Further developments

Tiānhé-1 is the core module of a planned modular space station. The core module and its other parts are to be launched between 2019 and 2022.

See also

References

  1. ^ https://chinaspacereport.com/spacecraft/tiangong2/
  2. ^ a b c d Branigan, Tania; Sample, Ian (26 April 2011). "China unveils rival to International Space Station". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 27 April 2011. China often chooses poetic names for its space projects, such as Chang'e – after the moon goddess – for its lunar probes; its rocket series, however, is named Long March, in tribute to communist history. The space station project is currently referred to as Tiangong, or "heavenly palace".
  3. ^ huaxia, ed. (16 September 2016). "Tiangong-2 takes China one step closer to space station". Xinhua. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  4. ^ a b huaxia, ed. (16 September 2016). "Tiangong-2 space lab may exceed 5 years service life: expert". Xinhua. Retrieved 16 September 2016.
  5. ^ Hunt, Katie; Bloom, Deborah (15 September 2016). "China launches Tiangong-2 space lab". CNN News. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Space-Track.Org API Access". space-track.org. 22 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 September 2016. Retrieved 15 September 2016.
  7. ^ de Selding, Peter B. (20 June 2016). "China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N." Space News.
  8. ^ China to begin construction of manned space station in 2019 Reuters April 28, 2017
  9. ^ a b c "China to launch Tiangong-2 and cargo spacecraft in 2015". GB Times. 13 June 2013. Retrieved 16 June 2013.
  10. ^ "Tiangong-1 launch betrays China's earthly ambitions". BBC. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  11. ^ a b David, Leonard (11 March 2011). "China Details Ambitious Space Station Goals". Space.com. Retrieved 9 March 2011. China is ready to carry out a multiphase construction program that leads to the large space station around 2020. As a prelude to building that facility, China is set to loft the Tiangong-1 module this year as a platform to help master key rendezvous and docking technologies.
  12. ^ "China manned spaceflight program" (PDF). The Space Review. 15 October 2009. Retrieved 21 November 2011.
  13. ^ Morris Jones (11 September 2014). "China's Space Station is Still On Track". SpaceDaily.
  14. ^ AFP (10 September 2014). "China to launch second space lab in 2016: official". SpaceDaily.
  15. ^ "China successfully launches Tiangong-2 space lab". CCTV News. 15 September 2016.
  16. ^ "China's Shenzhou-11 successfully docks with Tiangong-2 spacelab". CCTV America. Retrieved 19 October 2016.
  17. ^ Clark, Stuart (20 October 2016). "Two crewed space stations now orbiting Earth". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  18. ^ a b "SCIO briefing on China's Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 manned space mission". China.org.cn. 19 November 2016. Retrieved 24 November 2016.
  19. ^ "Tiangong-2: China's first cargo spacecraft docks with orbiting space lab". The Guardian. 22 April 2017. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  20. ^ "China's Tianzhou-1 cargo craft and Tiangong-2 space lab perform final orbital docking". GBTimes. 12 September 2017. Retrieved 15 September 2017.
  21. ^ Andrew Jones (20 June 2018). "China appears to be preparing to deorbit its Tiangong 2 space lab". Spacenews.
  22. ^ Michelle Starr (25 June 2018). "China's Space Station Got Weirdly Close to Earth For a Few Days And The Government Isn't Talking". Science Alert.
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