China on Thursday said a group of astronauts are training for four crew missions this year as the country works to complete its first permanent orbiting space station. The station’s main model, the Tianhe baptism, could launch as early as next month, according to China’s National Space Administration and foreign observers. The Long March-5B Y2 rocket and its payload were transferred last month at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the tropical region of Hainan for assembly and testing. That launch was the first of 11 missions over the next two years to complete construction of the station by the end of 2022. Two more modules will be launched later, along with four missions. Tianzhou cargo supply and the four Shenzhou crew missions.
CNSA lists 12 astronaut trainings for the crew missions, including former Shenzhou flight veterans, newcomers and women, though it was unclear if others were selected. It is reported that up to three members will live at one time in the basic model, which has docking ports to allow scientific models to be launched later. China has already launched two smaller experimental space stations to test measures for on-board rendezvous, docking and life support. When complete, the permanent space station will allow up to six months, similar to the International Space Station.
It is reported that the Chinese station intends to use it for 15 years and could cross ISS, which is nearing the end of its operational life. ISS is backed by the US, Russia, Japan, Europe, Canada and others, but China did not participate, partly at the urging of the United States, which was wary of sharing technology with its secret, armed program. However, China ‘s space program has made steady progress since it launched an astronaut into orbit around the Earth in 2003.
A rover went to the other side of the moon in 2019. Another craft, the Tianwen-1, in a parking orbit around Mars is not expected to put a rover on the surface in the coming months. If successful, China would be only the second country after the US launched a spacecraft on Mars. China is also working on a reusable space plane and planning a crew moon mission and a possible permanent research base on the moon, although no dates have been suggested.
(This story was not edited by Devdiscourse staff and is automatically extracted from syndicated feedings.)