International Space Station (ISS) will be retiring in 2024 and Chinese Space station will be the only one in service after that. Yes, this is what Chinese space official has said. Lei Fanpei, chairman of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) on Friday that, “China may be the only space station in service when the International Space Station (ISS) retires in 2024.”
China plans to launch the experimental core module of its space station around 2018 with a Long March-5 heavy load carrier rocket, and the 20-tonne combination space station will be sent into orbit around 2022, Xinhua news agency quoted Chairman of CASC Lei Fanpei as saying.
China recently successfully launched a second experimental space lab. Two astronauts were expected to join the lab later this month for month long stay and experiments.
The main lab was expected to be ready by 2022.
According to Lei, China’s space station will include a core module and two lab modules, with ports that will allow multiple spacecraft to dock.
Following this, a manned spacecraft and cargo spacecraft will travel between the space station and the Earth to provide supplies. Taikonauts, Chinese astronaut can stay at the space station for over one year. The space station has a designed life of 10 years in orbit which is 400 km above the Earth’s surface.
With this space station, China will become the second country after Russia to have developed a space station, Lei said.
China in 1992 made a three-step strategy for its manned space program, the large-scale manned space station being the last step.
In mid-October, the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft would transport two taikonauts to Tiangong-2. They would stay there for 30 days.
