NASA isn't the only one making moves in space. Now, China is preparing to send its Long March 5B rocket carrying a 22-ton Wentian experiment module into space potentially on June 23.
China Is Launching Its Long March 5B Rocket to Send Its Second Module Into Space
The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) recently announced the arrival of the components for the third Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket on May 29 at the Wenchang space station.
According to the story by Space News, the launcher components were shipped to Wenchang but were initially manufactured and tested in northern China at Tianjin. In order to ship the components, they had to use specially constructed cargo vessels to pass the southern island province of Hainan.
The Chinese Wenchang Module Will Join Tianhe in Orbit
Both the assembly of the launch vehicle and its testing is expected to happen really soon due to the completion of the Long March 5B. The rocket is an 849-metric ton 53.7-meter-long rocket that is packed with four liquid boosters, a cryogenic core, and an elongated payload fairing.
The Long March 5B is "unofficially expected to launch around July 23" and its mission includes sending an experimental module, the 22-ton Wentian, to join Tianhe in orbit. Tianhe is a core module that is similar in size to the Wentian module and was launched in April of 2021.
Wentian was Called the 'Quest for the Heavens' Module
Wentian was dubbed a "Quest for the Heavens" module and is expected to dock at Tianhe's forward port. So far, the Tianhe is in a 240.47 by 239.84-meter orbit inclined by 41.5 degrees. Three astronauts from the Shenzhou-14 are expected to be aboard the Tianhe when Wentian arrives.
The astronauts are expected to cooperate with ground control in order for them to bring the new module to a "radial docking port" through the use of a large robotic arm in space. Should the process be successful, Wentian will be considered the second out of three modules for the Taingong space station.
The final module, Mengtian, is expected to come to space in October of this year.
Read Also: SpaceX Celebrates 10th Anniversary of the COTS 2 Mission-Dragon's First Successful Flight to the ISS
When Did China Start Building Its Space Station?
China has been working towards building and expanding its space station ever since it was first envisioned in 1992. Shortly after, Project 921 was approved which allowed them to develop human capabilities for spaceflight as detailed in an article by World Space Flight.
The project experienced a few delays in its early days due to development and performance issues when it came to the Long March 5B. The project was also expandable to six modules for tourist and commercial missions in the future.
Wentian is composed of a small robotic arm, a new airlock, and more living quarters to accommodate crew handovers.
Related Article: China is Finalizing Details For the Ongoing Tiangong Space Station | What to Expect
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Written by Urian B.
