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UPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS | CHINA LAUNCHES SECOND SPACE STATION MODULE | 25TH JULY | THE HINDU

/ July, 2022, UPSC Daily Current Affairs

SYLLABUS SECTION: GS III (SPACE MISSIONS)

WHY IN THE NEWS SPACE STATION MODULE?

Recently, China has launched the second of three modules to its permanent space station module.

MORE DETAILS:

SPACE STATION MODULE

  • China began constructing the space station in April 2021 with the launch of the Tianhe module.
  • It is the main living quarters, in the first of 11 crewed and uncrewed missions in the undertaking by China.
  • The Wentian lab module, 17.9 m long, will provide space for experiments, along with the other lab module yet to be launch — Mengtian (“Dreaming of the Heavens”).
  • Wentian features an airlock cabin that is to be the main exit entry point for extra-vehicular activities when the station is complete.
  • It will also serve as short-term living quarters for astronauts during crew rotations on the station, which is design for long ­term accommodation of just three astronauts.
  • Mengtian is expect to be launch in October and, like Wentian, is to dock with Tianhe, forming a T-­shape structure.

CHINA’s SPACE STATION:

  • Tiangong officially the Tiangong space station is a space station being construct by China.
  • It will be in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface.
  • Once complete Tiangong will have a mass between 80 and 100 t (180,000 and 220,000 lb), roughly one-fifth the mass of the International Space Station and about the size of the decommission Russian Mir space station.

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SOURCE: THE HINDU