Uncovering the Unknown Aspects of China's Tiangong Space Station
Tiangong Set to Become Successor to the International Space Station
China's Tiangong space station is gearing up to take centre stage in the world of space exploration, with ambitious plans to expand its capacity and become a major successor to the International Space Station (ISS) after its decommissioning around 2030.
Operated by China's China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), Tiangong, meaning "heavenly palace," currently operates in low-earth orbit, between approximately 217 and 280 miles in altitude. It shares similarities with the ISS in its fundamental operations and moves at a similar speed, making a full orbit of Earth every hour and a half.
The CMSA plans to add three more modules to Tiangong, doubling its current size to match the ISS capacity of housing seven astronauts. This expansion will increase Tiangong's total mass to about 180 tons, enhancing its research capabilities and international collaboration potential.
A key element of this plan is the integration of the Xuntian space telescope, expected to launch around 2026. This telescope will orbit alongside Tiangong and be maintained and upgraded from the station, expanding China's cosmic science mission beyond just crewed spaceflight.
China is also actively seeking international partnerships. Pakistan is scheduled to join the station's crew in 2026, signaling Tiangong's role as a potential international hub for space research post-ISS decommissioning.
China's broader space agenda includes establishing itself as a leading space power with missions such as a crewed lunar landing by 2030 and plans for a lunar research station, which ties strategically into Tiangong's role as a low-Earth orbit platform supporting long-term human spaceflight and scientific work.
While NASA and its partners plan to replace the ISS with privately operated space stations, these initiatives are still developing. In the near term, Tiangong is expected to be the only sovereign space station providing continuous human presence in low-Earth orbit after 2030. However, Tiangong’s operational life is currently projected at about 15 years, so China's plans beyond this period remain uncertain.
On rare occasions, it is possible to see both the ISS and Tiangong in the sky at the same time. The number of taikonauts aboard Tiangong is expected to increase in the future, and both stations have different orbital inclinations to prevent collisions.
Tiangong's emergence comes with major implications for the future of space exploration and international relations. As the ISS prepares for its decommissioning, the world watches with anticipation to see how China's Tiangong will shape the future of human space exploration.
[1] Space.com
[2] CNN
[3] NASA
[4] BBC
[5] The Guardian
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