Context:
Three Chinese astronauts floated into the country’s new Tiangong space station for a three-month mission.
Relevance:
GS III Science and Technology
Dimensions of the Article:
- Tiangong Space Station
- Features of this Space Station
Tiangong Space Station
- Tiangong refers to “Heavenly Palace,” and it was 10.4 metres long and 3.35 metres wide at its widest point, weighing 8.6 metric tonnes.
- It was launched on September 15, 2016, and hosted two Chinese astronauts for 30 days in late 2016, making it China’s longest human space mission to date.
- The space lab was decommissioned when China’s first space station, Tiangong-1, crashed into the southern Pacific Ocean on April 1, 2018, after Chinese scientists lost control of the ship.
- Tiangong-1 was launched by China in 2011 as a proof-of-concept for future stations.
- By the end of 2022, the Tiangong will be completely functioning.
Features of this Space Station
- Tiangong’s two robotic arms are its most notable feature, and the US has previously expressed alarm about its potential to grasp anything from space, including satellites.
- Previously, the 10-meter-long arm was spotted successfully catching and moving a 20-tonne Tianzhou-2 cargo ship in a test.
- The small arm is highly flexible, allowing for more precise operations.
-Source: The Hindu
