BULLETIN
Chinese Space Station completed
The finished Tiangong station can hold up to six people
The Chinese Space Station, Tiangong, is now complete after the final science module, Mengtian, launched on 31 October at 07:37 UT. The station began construction with the Tianhe module in April 2021, followed by the Wentian module in July 2022.
Mengtian will serve as both a cabin module and a laboratory where taikonauts – Chinese astronauts – can perform experiments in zero gravity. One of the first is an ultra-cold experiment to cool atoms to one billionth of a degree above absolute zero, the lowest temperature ever achieved. Mengtian also has an airlock to help place experiments on the hull to expose them to the vacuum of space.
The semi-constructed station has already had several crews of three stay on board, but now the completed Tiangong can support up to six people. For comparison, the International Space Station, which has 16 modules, can host a maximum of 13 spacefarers. www.cnsa.gov.cn