China Launches Space Station Laboratory Module 'Wentian'

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Nahum] China, which is pursuing the construction of an independent space station, launched its first laboratory module, 'Wentian' (問天), on the afternoon of the 24th.

The China Manned Space Agency launched Wentian aboard the Long March 5 Yao-3 rocket from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan at around 2:22 PM local time.

Authorities announced that about 8 minutes after the rocket launch, at around 3 PM, Wentian successfully separated from the rocket and entered its planned orbit, confirming the launch was successful.

China's space station, 'Tiangong' (天宮), consists of the core module 'Tianhe' (天和) and two laboratory modules. Tianhe was launched in April last year, and the other laboratory module, 'Mengtian' (夢天), is scheduled to be launched in October.

Wentian is a space used by astronauts for scientific experiments, but it also includes sleeping quarters, a restroom, and a kitchen. It is designed to accommodate six astronauts.

When the second laboratory module, Mengtian, is launched in October, the T-shaped structure of the Chinese space station will be completed. The space station China is building is 37 meters long and weighs 90 tons, which is one-third the size of the International Space Station (ISS) currently jointly operated by the United States, Russia, and others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.