Tianhe core module
StationTiangong space station
Launch29 April 2021, 03:23:15 UTC (11:23:15 CST)
Launch vehicleLong March 5B (5B-Y2)
Mass22,500 kg (49,600 lb)
Length16.6 m (54 ft)
Width4.2 m (14 ft)
Volume113 m3 (4,000 cu ft)
Habitable: 51 m3 (1,800 cu ft)
Configuration imageTianhe final art 310819.jpg

Tianhe (Chinese: 天和; pinyin: Tiānhé; literally: Harmony of the Heavens),[1][2] officially the Tianhe core module (simplified Chinese: 天和核心舱), is the first module to launch of the Tiangong space station. It was launched into orbit on 29 April 2021,[3] as the first launch of the final phase of Tiangong program, part of the China Manned Space Program (Project 921).[4][5]

Tianhe follows the earlier Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 space laboratories.[6] It is the first module of a third-generation Chinese modular space station. Other examples of modular stations include the Soviet/Russian Mir and the International Space Station. Operations will be controlled from the Beijing Aerospace Flight Control Center.[5]

In 2018, a fullscale mockup of Tianhe was publicly presented at China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai.[7][8] In October 2020, China selected 18 new astronauts ahead of the space station construction to participate in the country's space station project.[9]

Functions and systems

The core module provides life support and living quarters for three crew members, and provides guidance, navigation, and orientation control for the station. The module also provides the station's power, propulsion, and life support systems. The module consists of three sections: habitable living quarters, a non-habitable service section, and a docking hub.[5] The living quarters have a volume of 51 cubic metres (1,800 cu ft) of habitable space, compared to only 15 cubic metres (530 cu ft) for Tiangong-1.[10]

The living quarters include a kitchen, toilet, fire control equipment, air processing and control equipment, computers, scientific apparatus, and ground communications equipment.[5] The station has a large robotic arm called the Core Module Manipulator (CMM).[5][11] The CMM has a wide range of mobility with seven axis of motion, the ability to be elongated, and crawl along the hull.[12][13] According to the latest reports, its ability is similar to Canadarm 2.[14]

Electrical power is provided by two steerable solar power arrays, which use photovoltaic cells to produce electricity. Energy is stored to power the station when it moves into the Earth's shadow. Tianzhou resupply ships replenish fuel for the module's propulsion engines for station-keeping to counter the effects of atmospheric drag.[15] There are 4 ion engines for propulsion.[16]

Structure

The forward docking hub has four ports: forward, port, starboard, and nadir (towards Earth). The Mengtian and Wentian modules are semi-permanently attached to the port and starboard ports, respectively. The forward and nadir ports are used by visiting crewed Shenzhou spacecraft, while the aft-facing port at the other end of the module is used by Tianzhou cargo spacecraft.[11] The forward, nadir, and aft ports are equipped with equipment for automated rendezvous and docking.

Each experiment module was designed to carry a mechanical arm similar to the Russian Lyappa arm used on the Mir space station. New modules would initially dock at the forward port before being relocated to the port or starboard port by the arm.

During the early stages of station assembly, the zenith port served as the station's extravehicular activity (EVA) hatch, with the docking hub acting as an airlock.[17] This role became unnecessary after the addition of the Wentian module, which includes a dedicated EVA airlock.

Earlier first-generation space stations, including the Soviet Salyut 1, NASA's Skylab, and Tiangong-1, were not designed for routine resupply missions. Later stations such as Salyut 6, Salyut 7, and Mir introduced multiple docking ports to support long-term crewed operations and resupply missions.[18] The modular design of the Tiangong space station allows additional modules to be added or removed over time.[19] The station was designed for routine resupply and has a planned service life of at least 10 years.[11][20]

The module is 16.6 m (54 ft) long, with a maximum diameter of 4.2 m (14 ft) and an on-orbit mass of 22,500 kg (49,600 lb).[21][22]

Launch

On 14 January 2021, CMSA announced the beginning of the construction phase for China's three-module space station. The core module, Tianhe, passed a flight acceptance review. This core module provides living space and life support for astronauts and houses the outpost's power and propulsion elements.[23][24]

Tianhe launched on 29 April 2021, at 03:23:15 UTC atop a Long March 5B launch vehicle from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.[21] After the core module was put into orbit, the empty first stage of its launch vehicle entered a temporary, uncontrolled failing orbit.[25] Some concerns were raised over possible damage from debris of the uncontrolled re-entry: observations showed the rocket was tumbling, which complicates predictions about an eventual landing area, although the most likely outcome was a maritime impact. Parallels were made with respect to a previous launch in May 2020[26] which reportedly caused some damage in the Côte d'Ivoire.[27] The rocket re-entered over the Arabian peninsula on 9 May at 02:24 UTC,[28] landing in the Indian Ocean west of the Maldives according to the CMSA, with much of it having reportedly burned up prior to impact.[a] United States Space Command confirmed the re-entry location.[29][b]

The first spacecraft scheduled that visited the Tianhe core module was the Tianzhou 2 cargo resupply spacecraft on 29 May 2021, followed by Shenzhou 12, carrying a crew of three to the station on 17 June 2021.[3] Tianzhou 3 and Shenzhou 13 were launched to the station on 20 September 2021 and 15 October 2021 respectively.[30][31]

Maneuvers

On 1 July 2021, the space station performed a maneuver in response to a possible close encounter with the Starlink-1095 communications satellite.[32] Another maneuver was carried out on 21 October of the same year in response to a possible collision with Starlink-2305.[32]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) reported landing coordinates are 72.47 degrees of longitude east and 2.65 degrees of latitude north – 2.65°N 72.47°E.[29][28]
  2. ^ 'Space-Track.org', on its Twitter feed, stated that based on data from the 18th Space Control Squadron of the United States Space Force, the CZ-5B core stage that launched the Tianhe core module fell into the Indian Ocean north of the Maldives.[33]

References

  1. ^ "China launches space station core module Tianhe". Xinhua. 2021-04-29.
  2. ^ "Planned space station details made public". China Daily. 2018-04-26. The core module, Tianhe, or Harmony of Heavens
  3. ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (1 March 2021). "China preparing to build Tiangong station in 2021, complete by 2022". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 1 March 2021.
  4. ^ "中国载人航天工程标识及空间站、货运飞船名称正式公布" [CMSE logo and space station and cargo ship name officially announced] (in zh-CN). China Manned Space Engineering Office. 2013-10-31. Archived from the original on 4 December 2013. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  5. ^ Ping, Wu (2016-04-23). "空间站工程研制进展" [Space Station Project Development Progress]. China Manned Space Engineering. Archived from the original on 2016-09-14. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  6. ^ Graham, William (23 March 2021). "Twenty years after deorbit, Mir's legacy lives on in today's space projects". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  7. ^ "航天控制中心" [Aerospace Control Center] (in zh-CN). China Manned Space Engineering Office. 2008-09-17. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 2016-06-29.
  8. ^ "天和一号核心舱（TianHe-1）" [TianHe core module (TianHe-1)] (in Chinese). chinaspaceflight.com. 2016-06-07. Archived from the original on 19 June 2016. Retrieved 2016-06-30.
  9. ^ "China selects 18 new astronauts ahead of space station construction". SpaceNews. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  10. ^ Clark, Stephen. "Assembly of Chinese space station begins with successful core module launch – Spaceflight Now"
  11. ^ "China launches Tianhe module, start of ambitious two-year station construction effort". NASASpaceFlight.com. 28 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  12. ^ Fallahiarezoodar, Nasim & Zhu, Zheng H. (2025-07-02). "Review of Autonomous Space Robotic Manipulators for On-Orbit Servicing and Active Debris Removal". Space: Science & Technology. 5. doi:10.34133/space.0291. ISSN 2692-7659
  13. ^ "China's Tiangong Space Station robotic arm revealed"
  14. ^ 刘明. "Robotic arm utilizes top technologies". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2021-07-08.
  15. ^ David, Leonard (7 March 2011). "China Details Ambitious Space Station Goals". SPACE.com. Retrieved 9 March 2012.
  16. ^ "China's New Space Station is Powered by Ion Thrusters". 23 June 2021.
  17. ^ NSF202104282
  18. ^ "Space Station Evolution: 6 Amazing Orbital Outposts". SPACE.com. 12 May 2013. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  19. ^ "China's Space Station and the ISS Compared As Tianhe Module Arrives in Earth's Orbit". Newsweek. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  20. ^ "China launches Tianhe, future living quarters for space station planned for 2022". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
  21. ^ "China assembling rocket to launch first space station module". SpaceNews. 18 February 2020. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
  22. ^ 朱光辰 (2022). "我国载人航天器总体构型技术发展". 航天器工程. 第31卷 (第6期): 47.
  23. ^ Wall, Mike (7 January 2021). "China plans to launch core module of space station this year". SPACE.com. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  24. ^ Jones, Andrew (10 February 2021). "China's first space station module is ready for flight". SPACE.com. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
  25. ^ Clark, Stephen (9 May 2020). "U.S. military tracking unguided re-entry of large Chinese rocket". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 12 February 2021.
  26. ^ Smith, Adam (4 May 2021). "Chinese rocket "tumbling to Earth" and could land anywhere". The Independent. Retrieved 5 May 2021. There are fears that the rocket could land on an inhabited area; the last time a Long March rocket was launched in May 2020, debris was reported falling on villages in the Ivory Coast. The speed of the rocket means scientists still do not yet know when it will fall, but it is likely to do so before 10 May 2021.
  27. ^ "Ivory Coast villagers in shock after they find a debris that fell from the sky". Daily Nation. May 2020. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
  28. ^ China Manned Space Agency (CMSa) (2021-05-09). "长征五号B遥二运载火箭末级残骸已再入大气层". Archived 2021-05-09 at the Wayback Machine.
  29. ^ "'Irresponsible': Nasa chides China as rocket debris lands in Indian Ocean". The Guardian. Reuters. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.
  30. ^ "【2021年9月待定】长征七号 • 天舟三号货运飞船 • LongMarch 7 Y4 • Tianzhou-3" (in Chinese). spaceflightfans.cn. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  31. ^ "长征二号F/G Y13 • 神舟十三号载人飞船 • LongMarch 2F/G Y13 • Shenzhou-13" (in Chinese). spaceflightfans.cn. 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 25 April 2021.
  32. ^ Permanent Mission of China to the United Nations (2021-12-03). Information furnished in conformity with the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies. Vienna: United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. pp. 1‒2. Retrieved 2021-12-28. from 19 April 2020, the Starlink-1095 satellite had … an average altitude of around 555 km. Between 16 May and 24 June 2021, … maneuvered continuously to an orbit of around 382 km … close encounter … on 1 July 2021. … the China Space Station took the initiative to conduct an evasive maneuver in the evening of that day … On 21 October 2021, the Starlink-2305 satellite had a subsequent close encounter … the maneuver strategy was unknown [so] the China Space Station performed an evasive manoeuvre
  33. ^ "@18SPCS confirms that CZ-5B ...". Twitter. 8 May 2021. Retrieved 9 May 2021.