China Space Station: How China is building its first space station
Updated 18:46, 07-Feb-2023
Error loading player: No playable sources found

China is scheduled to finish building its space station by the end of the year. CGTN's Zheng Yibing has more on how construction is going, and also looks back at how it all started. 

China's space station is nearing completion. It's orbiting Earth some 400 kilometers above the surface. Now, it has a core module, a space lab, a manned spacecraft, and a cargo ship. The second space lab will soon join them, forming a T shape.

ZHOU JIANPING, Chief Designer, China Manned Space Program "The biggest structure of the China Space Station consists of three modules and three spacecraft with a total weight of about 100 tons. It will be spectacular once it's completed."

ZHENG YIBING, Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site "In April 2021, Tianhe, the core module of China Space Station was launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, beginning the station's in-orbit assembly and less than two months later, taikonauts entered the station for the first time."

Since then, multiple launch missions have been conducted, with the crews of the Shenzhou-12, 13, and 14 entering the station.

In July, Wentian, the first lab module, was sent into space to dock with the core module. And now it's time for the second lab module – Mengtian.

For Chinese space program, the time it takes to dock in space has been shortened from 44 hours to just seven over the past 10 years. And taikonauts can stay in space for half a year. China is preparing to send the fourth crew to the station and is currently recruiting a new generation of taikonauts.

HUANG WEIFEN, Chief Designer, Taikonaut System, China Manned Space Program "When we select taikonauts, we consider their personality and compatibility with the mission, and with each other. So far, the taikonaut team of China has three cohorts."

ZHENG YIBING, Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site "The taikonauts have conducted life scientific experiments in the first lab module, particularly with thale cress and rice, and will do more in the second lab module where eight science experimental boxes mainly on physics studies are installed."

China Manned Space Agency says the station will operate in orbit for more than ten years. The agency also says hundreds of experiments could be conducted inside and outside the station, contributing to the peaceful exploration of outer space.

ZHENG YIBING, Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site "China Space Station symbolizes the phased result of the country's 30-year manned space program. And the country is planning new goals for space exploration and welcoming international cooperation. Zheng Yibing, CGTN, Wenchang."

`