China will launch a core module for space station in 2018

Almaty. April 21. Silkroadnews – China will launch a “core module” for its first space station around 2018, a senior engineer with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. said, Xinhua news agency reports.

Later, two space labs will be launched to dock with the core module “Tianhe-1”, said Wang Zhongyang, spokesperson with a key research institute attached to the corporation, adding that the construction on the space station is expected to be completed around 2022.

According to him, the Chinese space station will consist of the core module and two laboratories weighing about 20 tons each. In case the International Space Station completes the mission by 2024, the China’s new space station will be the only one operating in outer space.

Wang Zhongyang also told the next few years will see some exciting advances in the space station program. This year, China will launch the second space laboratory “Tiangong-2” and the spacecraft “Shenzhou-11” with two astronauts on board to dock with “Tiangong-2”.

In 2017, China’s first cargo spaceship “Tianzhou-1” will be launched to dock with “Tiangong-2” and test a number of important systems.

According to the spokesman, as soon as the space station starts its operation China plans to launch a space telescope, analogue to the American Hubble, which will be located on a separate space unit and share orbit alongside the space station.

China launched its first space laboratory “Tiangong-1” in September 2011 and within next two years conducted two docking with the module.

“Tiangong-1”, which ran for four-and-a-half years, has successfully completed its mission and ended providing services this March. It still remains in orbit and will descend gradually in the coming months until it burns up in the atmosphere.