. 24/7 Space News .
DRAGON SPACE
Tiangong space station marks key step in assembly
by Staff Writers
Beijing (XNA) Oct 06, 2022

Simulated image captured at on July 25, 2022 shows that Wentian lab module has docked with the front port of Tianhe core module combination. [Photo/Xinhua]

The Wentian lab module of China's Tiangong space station has been repositioned to dock with a radial port on the station's Tianhe core module on Friday afternoon, which marked a key step in Tiangong's in-orbit assembly, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a news release that during the hour-long operation that finished at 12:44 pm, Wentian was moved from the axial port of Tianhe to a radial port of the core module. The maneuver was carried out based on cooperation between astronauts inside the Tiangong and ground controllers.

After the operation, the Tiangong station is now L-shaped and will remain in that shape until the docking with the Mengtian lab module that is scheduled to be launched around year's end, the agency noted.

Wentian was launched in late July from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province to connect with the Tianhe core module.

With its 23-ton weight and 17.9-meter length, Wentian is currently the largest and heaviest spacecraft China has ever built and also the world's heaviest self-propelled spaceship in service.

Inside the gigantic lab, there are eight scientific cabinets. They are mainly used to serve biological and life science studies and can support research on the growth, aging and genetic traits of plants, animals and microbes in the space environment.

Wentian also has 22 extravehicular payload adapters capable of carrying scientific equipment needed for experiments that require exposure to the space environment, cosmic rays, vacuum and solar winds.

By now, three groups of Chinese astronauts have lived and worked inside the Tiangong space station, which now consists of the Tianhe module, the Wentian lab, the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft, and the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship.

The current habitants - the three crew members of the Shenzhou XIV mission - have spent nearly four months in it and have carried out two spacewalks. They are to stay in the station until early December, when the Shenzhou XV crew will take over.

The Mengtian space lab, Tiangong's second lab component, is scheduled to be launched in October.

Scientific equipment onboard will be used for microgravity studies and to carry out experiments in fluid physics, materials science, combustion science and fundamental physics, mission planners have said.

Once Mengtian is connected to Tiangong, the station will be T-shaped and astronauts will have as much as 110 cubic meters of usable space.

Transposition of China's space station lab module completed
China's space station lab module Wentian successfully completed in-orbit transposition at 12:44 pm Friday, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

It was the first time China has completed the in-orbit transposition of a large-scale spacecraft cabin by applying transfer facilities, the CMSA said.

During the transposition, the Wentian lab module first completed its state configuration and separated from the space station's core module Tianhe. Following up, Wentian conducted transposition and then docked with the side port of the space station's node cabin.

Wentian was moved to the same plane as the core module to ensure the path of its barycenter also stays on the same plane, thus reducing possible disturbances to the space station combination, said Wei Zhi, an engineer from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, a subsidiary of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Lasting around one hour, the operation was the result of cooperation between astronauts in space and professionals on Earth, the agency said.

Through the transposition, the combination has changed from a straight line to L-shape. After the arrival of the Mengtian lab module, the three-module combination will be maneuvered to take on a T-shape.

The Mengtian module is set to be launched in October this year.

China begins search for fourth astronaut generation
China has recently started recruiting the country's fourth generation of astronauts, and the search has opened to people in Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, the China Manned Space Agency said.

The agency said in a news release on Sunday afternoon experts will pick 12 to 14 candidates for the new generation. Among them, seven to eight will be spacecraft pilots, three to four will be engineers and two will be payload specialists.

The pilots will be chosen from aviators now serving in the People's Liberation Army. The spaceflight engineers will be selected from researchers and technicians in aerospace or related industries. The payload specialists will be picked from scientists working on space science and technology.

The recruitment and selection processes are scheduled to be finished within 18 months, the agency said, noting the posts of payload specialists are open to those from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions.

As construction of China's space station gradually unfolds, the country needs fresh talent to carry out the ambitious endeavor.

Currently, the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing is training the third group of Chinese astronauts.

The 18 new astronauts-17 men and one woman-are in three groups: seven spacecraft pilots, another seven as spaceflight engineers and the last four as payload specialists. They are undergoing systematic training before being certified for space missions.

Selection for the third generation team began in May 2018 and wrapped up in September 2020, involving three rounds of tests. About 2,500 applicants participated.

Before the third group, China had 21 astronauts from two generations. Among them, 14 have taken part in nine flight missions, including the latest Shenzhou XIV. Several in the first generation who had not taken part in any spaceflights during their service have already retired.

Source: Xinhua News Agency


Related Links
China Manned Space Agency
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


DRAGON SPACE
China begins search for fourth astronaut generation
Beijing (XNA) Oct 05, 2022
China has recently started recruiting the country's fourth generation of astronauts, and the search has opened to people in Hong Kong and Macao for the first time, the China Manned Space Agency said. The agency said in a news release on Sunday afternoon experts will pick 12 to 14 candidates for the new generation. Among them, seven to eight will be spacecraft pilots, three to four will be engineers and two will be payload specialists. The pilots will be chosen from aviators now serving in th ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

DRAGON SPACE
Amid Ukraine war, US flies Russian cosmonaut to ISS

SpaceX Crew 5 mission set to lift off for International Space Station

NASA resets for Crew-5, Artemis I missions post-Ian

Five things to know about the Nobel prizes

DRAGON SPACE
SpaceX aborts launch of two communication satellites into orbit

AFRL Commander moderates Future Of Propulsion Panel At AFA Air, Space, Cyber Conference

NASA eyes November for launch attempt of Moon rocket

Elon Musk may help NASA extend life for Hubble

DRAGON SPACE
India loses contact with budget Mars orbiter after eight years

Unknown debris dislodges from Ingenuity Mars helicopter's foot during 33rd flight

A broken rock won't break our Team

Insights into Utopia Basin revealed by Mars rover Zhurong

DRAGON SPACE
Tiangong space station marks key step in assembly

China begins search for fourth astronaut generation

China launches multiple satellites in back to back launches

Space missions bring Down-to-Earth benefits

DRAGON SPACE
SwRI creates Space Sector with two new divisions to support space research and development

John Deere announces Request for Proposals for satellite communications opportunity

Satellogic signs 3 year deal with Albania to access dedicated satellite constellation

AE Industrial Partners makes significant investment in York Space Systems

DRAGON SPACE
Solstar provides assured communications for deorbiting LEO satellites as FCC issues new order

Record quarterly profit for Indian software giant TCS

Facebook parent Meta unveils AI video generator Make-a-Video

Some everyday materials have memories, and now they can be erased

DRAGON SPACE
The fountain of life: Water droplets hold the secret ingredient for building life

Laughing gas in space could mean life

Synthetic lava in the lab aids exoplanet exploration

New theory concludes that the origin of life on Earth-like planets is likely

DRAGON SPACE
Juno probe takes detailed photo of Jupiter's moon, Europa

Juno will perform close flyby of Jupiter's icy moon Europa

Planetary-scale 'heat wave' discovered in Jupiter's atmosphere

First 3D renders from JunoCam data reveal "frosted cupcake" clouds on Jupiter









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.