Chinese astronauts completed the latest phase of development on the Tiangong space station by positioning one of the laboratory modules in its final location, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The robotic arm of the space station was initially used to detach the Wentian lab module from the forward port of the Tianhe core module before slowly squeezing it into the side port.
The Mengtian lab module, which will eventually be attached to the opposite side port to create a T-shaped space station, will be launched later this month, marking the start of the following phase of development.
First for China
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the hour-long operation, a first for the country's space program, was carried out by the three astronauts on board the Tiangong and engineers at the ground command center.
Wei Zhi, an engineer from the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology, said in an interview with The Beijing News that it is safer to dock the modules at the front initially before moving them to the side later to lessen the possibility that the heavy modules will tip the space station off balance and make it "roll out of control."
The Mengtian laboratory module and the Long March rocket that will help the station fly to space are already assembled at the Wenchang Space Launch Site on the southern island of Hainan.
The launch is planned for the end of the month, a source familiar with CMSA's operations told SMCP, since all assembly and testing activities are already progressing effectively so far.
Read also : China: Wentian Module Docks on Tiangong Space Station-Focusing on Research, More Room for Sleep
Space Lab Modules
The two space lab modules will offer a pressurized environment for astronauts and researchers to run tests in free fall or zero gravity that is impossible to carry out on Earth after the launch and installation of the Mengtian module.
They will also permit tests to be done outside the module to examine how solar radiation and cosmic winds affect the materials that will be employed in harsh working environments.
Two astronauts working on the space station, mission commander Chen Dong and crew member Liu Yang, completed a six-hour spacewalk on September 1 to set up emergency protocols and ready the Wentian module for the operation.
The airlock cabin of the Wentian lab module was utilized for the first time by the space crew to depart from the space station.
They traveled to the space station in early June with their teammate Cai Xuzhe and will stay there for six months. When the Shenzhou 15 mission launches later this year, they will be joined by three other astronauts, making six crew members stationed on board for the first time.
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
