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
|
|
Space Force picks 14 companies for GEO surveillance program
Posted: Sat, Apr 11 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, April 20
Ovzon Launches Next-Generation Mobile Satellite Terminal – Ovzon T8
Ovzon — 5:39 am ET (0939 GMT) Musk’s SpaceX threatens to withhold mobile service from Australia
Australian Financial Review — 5:35 am ET (0935 GMT) Space Force looks to personnel growth to boost integrated testing approach
Aerospace America — 5:32 am ET (0932 GMT) Jeff Bezos’s rocket catches up with Elon Musk’s in space rivalry
The Daily Telegraph — 5:30 am ET (0930 GMT) Blue Origin Rocket Stumbles on First Commercial Mission
Wall Street Journal — 5:29 am ET (0929 GMT) |
