China’s space station

In News: China successfully launched first lab module for its space station.

• China successfully launched the first lab module for its under-construction space station, the latest step in the country’s ambitious programme to complete it by year’s end.
• The giant Long March-5B Y3 carrier rocket, carrying Wentian, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of the southern island province of Hainan.
• The new module will function both as a backup of the core module, Tianhe, and as a powerful scientific experiment platform in the space station currently being built by the country.
• China is on the track to completing the construction of its space station as it successfully launched the first lab module.
• The construction of China’s space station called Tiangong is expected to be completed this year.
• It will then evolve from a single-module structure into a national space laboratory with three modules — the core module, Tianhe, and two lab modules, Wentian and Mengtian.
• Once ready, China’s low-flying space station will be the only country to own a space station. The International Space Station (ISS) of Russia is a collaborative project of several countries.
• China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia.
• Once ready, China’s low-flying space station will be the only country to own a space station.
• As the International Space Station (ISS) is a collaborative project of several countries.
• China Space Station (CSS) is also expected to be a competitor to the ISS built by Russia.

Source: The Hindu