To create the station, China plans to carry out 11 launches in the next two years
BEIJING, April 23. /TASS/. The heavy launch vehicle "Changzheng 5B" (CZ-5B) for the launch of the main module of the Chinese space station on Friday was sent to the launch pad of the Wenchang cosmodrome, located on the northeast coast of Hainan Island. This was reported by the newspaper "Chinese Cosmonautics".
According to the publication, all the equipment needed to put the module into orbit is working properly. Another test is planned shortly before the launch.
To create the station, China plans to carry out 11 launches in the next two years. It is expected that on April 29, the Chinese Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation will send the 22.5-ton Tianhe base module into orbit, and later-two laboratories, four manned and the same number of cargo spacecraft.
The Chinese station will be located at an altitude of 340 to 450 km and is expected to last for more than a decade. It is designed for three astronauts (up to six for a short time when changing the crew). The mass of the T-shaped complex, which has three docking nodes and a gateway for entering space, will be 66 tons, the volume of compartments will reach 110 cubic meters.
It is expected that the station will be operational in 2022 and, as promised by the Chinese authorities, will be available for international projects.
