“Tianhe” – Chinese Space Station Core Module

What is the News?

China has launched the main module Tianhe, or the “Heavenly Harmony” of its first permanent space station Tiangong.

About Tianhe or Heavenly Harmony module:

• Tianhe is the core module of China’s permanent space station. Tiangong Space Station is its name.
• The module was launched into space aboard a Long March 5B rocket from the Wenchang Launch Center in China.
• The module consists of three sections:
  • The habitable living quarter,
  • The non-habitable service section,
  • A docking hub.
• Functions of the Module:
  • The Module provides life support and living quarters for three crew members.
  • Further, the module also provides guidance, navigation and orientation control for the station.
  • It also provides the station’s power, propulsion and life support systems.
• Significance: This module is the first of the 11 missions to build and supply the permanent space station.

About Tiangong Space Station:

• It is a planned Chinese Permanent space station to be placed in Low Earth orbit.
• The Space Station roughly will have one-fifth the mass of the International Space Station. Also, It will be the size of the decommissioned Russian Mir space station.
• The operations of the station will be controlled by the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center in China.

Source: The Hindu