Akihabara News (Tokyo) \u2014 China has become a major international space power, and new achievements are likely to follow in the near future. The Tiangong space station appears poised to become the only manned space station within the next decade.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the future, many scientific experiments and new technology tests in such fields as space life science, space technology, and space medicine will be conducted in China\u2019s space station, which is expected to make major achievements and breakthroughs in scientific exploration and applied research,\u201d declared China Manned Space Agency Director-General Hao Chung this April at a press conference in Beijing.<\/p>\n
The Chinese space station\u2013which was completed at the end of last month\u2013is expected to orbit the Earth for the next ten-to-fifteen years, and its lifespan might be expanded beyond that.<\/p>\n
Notably, the only other space station in service, the International Space Station (ISS), which is operated primarily by the United States and Russia, is expected to be retired as early as 2030.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is important for the Chinese space program,\u201d notes Beijing-based space law professor Fabio Tronchetti. \u201cThe International Space Station won\u2019t run for much longer. You may well end up with only one orbiting space station\u2014the Chinese one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The China Manned Space Agency completed its twenty-sixth mission this past weekend, as the Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft was launched carrying six months\u2019 worth of supplies for a crew which will serve aboard the Tiangong space station. The six-month mission will mark the longest period of time that a Chinese crew has been deployed in space.<\/p>\n
During the Tianzhou 5 mission, China set a new record for the fastest rendezvous and docking of a cargo rocket. It took just over two hours, according to the lead designer of the cargo system.<\/p>\n
The Chinese space program has also found success in its unmanned missions, such as the unprecedented landing in 2019 of the Chang\u2019e 4 spacecraft on the dark side of the Moon. Additionally, last year\u2019s arrival of the Zhurong rover on Mars marked the first time for any nation other than the United States to touch down on the red planet.<\/p>\n
Despite China\u2019s string of successes, many Western observers have criticized it for allegedly taking shortcuts and operating with a lack of transparency which compromises public safety.<\/p>\n
For example, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has pointed to four known cases of uncontrolled Chinese rocket debris reentries since May 2020. At the latest instance earlier this month, he declared, \u201conce again, the People\u2019s Republic of China is taking unnecessary risks.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Akihabara News (Tokyo) \u2014 China has become a major international space power, and new achievements are likely to follow in the near future. The Tiangong space station appears poised to become the only manned space station within the next decade. … Continue reading
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\nSource: Akihabara News – China Becomes Major Space Power<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"