Second Trial Chinese Space Station

China has launched a second experimental space station on Thursday from the Gobi desert.

17:14 19 September 2016

China, which has made space exploration a national priority, has launched a second experimental space station. The Tiangong 2 blasted off from the Gobi desert on Thursday. Next month, it will send two astronauts to the station to conduct research on quantum communications, gamma ray burst and fluid physics. This makes China the third country, after the Soviet Union and the US, to launch people into space.

 

China launched Tiangong 1 prototype in 2011. It is smaller than Tiangong 2, which is about 15m long. The astronauts that will come on board next month are expected to spend one month there.

 

China insists that its space programme is purely civilian in nature. However, the US Department of Defence has said that some of it seem targeted at being able to stop other countries from being able to use their space assets in a time of crisis or confrontation.

 

China is planning to launch Tiangong 3 around the year 2022 and by 2024, it wants to do it first moon walk.