China has completed docking its space station

The third and final module arrived at China’s Tiangong Space Station on Tuesday 1st^{There is} After its successful launch on Monday, November, it is part of China’s ambitious program in space, allowing it to become fully operational.

China’s desire to build a space station was fueled in part by the United States’ refusal to accept the Chinese in the International Space Station (ISS) program, a collaboration between the United States, Russia, Canada, Europe and Japan.

Baptized Mengtian (“Dream of Paradise”), the module was launched by a Long March 5B rocket from the tropical island of Hainan at 3:27 p.m. (8:27 a.m. Paris time), according to state broadcaster CCTV. From the beach near the Wenchang Missile Center, amateur photographers and space enthusiasts captured the event.

“Heavenly Palace”

“The Mengtian test module accurately entered a pre-defined orbit”A mission officer, Deng Hongin, told television minutes later. “I declare this release a complete success”Surrounded by enthusiastic colleagues in the control room, Mr. Deng said.

About thirteen hours later, early Tuesday morning China time, Mengtian docked with Tiangong, the state-run New China News Agency reported, citing the China Space Agency. The third and final major element of Tiangong Space Station is the Mengtian (“Heavenly Palace”) is T-shaped.

It is expected to have a lifespan of at least ten years, similar in size to the defunct Russian-Soviet Mir station. It should enable China to maintain a long-term human presence in space. Its assembly required a total of eleven tasks.

Last Monday made it possible to transport state-of-the-art scientific equipment. “First Cold Atomic Clock” Especially sent to space, welcomed by the official new Chinese company. The device should eventually allow more accurate time measurement.

Expired

Since June, three astronauts, including a woman, have spent about six months on the Chinese space station. Although China does not plan international cooperation for its station, Beijing has promised to be open to foreign cooperation. The Asian giant has been investing billions of euros in its space program for decades, which has helped offset much of its lag against the Americans and Russians.

Starting on Monday “very important”An analyst at the site told Agence France-Presse (AFP) Chen Lan. Go-Taikonauts.comBecause he is “China’s Thirty-Year Space Program Launched in 1992 Ends”. “With the completion of its space station, China is now on a par with the US, Russia and Europe in space, which also gives it significant political influence”he added.

China sent its first astronaut into space in 2003. It then landed a spacecraft on the far side of the moon in 2019, a world first. In 2020, the country brought back samples from the moon and finalized its satellite navigation system, Beidou – a rival to the US GPS. The following year, he landed a small robot on Mars. China plans to land humans on the moon by 2030.