China launches core module of space station
Posted: Sun, May 2, 2021, 10:53 AM ET (1453 GMT)
China launched the core module of its space station Wednesday night. A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang spaceport at 11:23 pm EDT (0323 GMT Thursday), deploying the Tianhe module into low Earth orbit. Tianhe, or "harmony of the heavens," is now expected to raise its orbit to around 370 kilometers above the Earth. The uncrewed Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with Tianhe in mid-late May, ahead of the visit of three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-12 in June. Those will be the first of 11 launches across 2021 and 2022 to build the planned 66-ton, three-module orbital outpost.
China launched the core module of its space station Wednesday night. A Long March 5B heavy-lift rocket lifted off from the coastal Wenchang spaceport at 11:23 pm EDT (0323 GMT Thursday), deploying the Tianhe module into low Earth orbit. Tianhe, or "harmony of the heavens," is now expected to raise its orbit to around 370 kilometers above the Earth. The uncrewed Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is scheduled to rendezvous and dock with Tianhe in mid-late May, ahead of the visit of three astronauts aboard Shenzhou-12 in June. Those will be the first of 11 launches across 2021 and 2022 to build the planned 66-ton, three-module orbital outpost.| <<previous article | next article>> |
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Sunday, May 9
Remnants of Chinese Long March-5B carrier rocket reenter atmosphere
CGTN — 8:56 am ET (1256 GMT) China says rocket debris landed in the Indian Ocean
CNBC — 8:55 am ET (1255 GMT) NASA criticizes China's handling of rocket re-entry as debris lands near Maldives
CNN — 8:53 am ET (1253 GMT) Symphony concert accompanies the launch of China's Long March-5B Y2 rocket, showing ‘Chinese pride and romance’
Global Times — 8:53 am ET (1253 GMT) Congratulations, You Weren’t Crushed by Space Debris Today
New York Magazine — 8:51 am ET (1251 GMT) |
