China launches core module of space station
Posted: Sun, May 2, 2021, 10:53 AM ET (1453 GMT)
China launched the core module of its space station Wednesday night. A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang spaceport at 11:23 pm EDT (0323 GMT Thursday), deploying the Tianhe module into low Earth orbit. Tianhe, or "harmony of the heavens," is now expected to raise its orbit to around 370 kilometers above the Earth. The uncrewed Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with Tianhe in mid-late May, ahead of the visit of three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-12 in June. Those will be the first of 11 launches across 2021 and 2022 to build the planned 66-ton, three-module orbital outpost.
China launched the core module of its space station Wednesday night. A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang spaceport at 11:23 pm EDT (0323 GMT Thursday), deploying the Tianhe module into low Earth orbit. Tianhe, or "harmony of the heavens," is now expected to raise its orbit to around 370 kilometers above the Earth. The uncrewed Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with Tianhe in mid-late May, ahead of the visit of three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-12 in June. Those will be the first of 11 launches across 2021 and 2022 to build the planned 66-ton, three-module orbital outpost.| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
House appropriators seeking alternatives to SLS EUS upper stage
Posted: Sun, Jul 27 12:52 PM ET (1652 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Tuesday, July 29
Firefly Aerospace Announces Launch of Initial Public Offering
Firefly Aerospace — 6:57 am ET (1057 GMT) Secret spaceplane heading back to orbit to test new tech
Defense One — 6:54 am ET (1054 GMT) USSF To Test Laser Links, Quantum Sensor On New X-37B Mission
Aviation Week — 6:54 am ET (1054 GMT) U.S. Space Force Taps Five Vendors For Protected Satcom Designs
Aviation Week — 6:53 am ET (1053 GMT) US Space Force kills protected satcom programme, consolidates effort
Jane's — 6:53 am ET (1053 GMT) |
