Tiangong-2 Explained

Station:Tiangong-2
天宫二号
Station Image:Tianzhou-1 and Tiangong-2 rendering.jpg
Station Image Caption:A rendering of Tianzhou 1 (left) docked to Tiangong 2.
Station Image Size:300px
Configuration Image:Tiangong_1_drawing_(cropped).png
Configuration Caption:Plan diagram of Tiangong 2 with solar panels extended
Cospar Id:2016-057A
Satcat:41765
Crew:2 (from Shenzhou 11)
19 October – 17 November 2016
Launch:15 September 2016,
14:04:09 UTC
Launch Pad:Jiuquan, LA-4 / SLS-1
Carrier Rocket:Long March 2F/G
Reentry:19 July 2019
Inclination:42.79°
Period:92.0 minutes
Occupied:26 days 11.3 hours
As Of:22 September 2016
Tiangong-2
Also Known As:Space Laboratory
Showflag:stp
S:天宫二号
T:天宮二號
P:Tiāngōng Èrhào
L:Celestial Palace-2 or Heavenly Palace-2
W:T'ien1kung1 erh4hao4
J:Tin1 gung1 ji6 hou6
Y:Tīngūng yihhouh
Myr:Tyāngūng èrhàu
Gr:Tiangong ellhaw
Order:st
S2:空间实验室
T2:空間實驗室
P2:Kōngjiān shíyàn shì
L2:Space Laboratory
W2:k'ung1chien1 shih2yen4 shih4
Gr2:kongjian shyryann shyh

Tiangong-2 was a Chinese space laboratory and part of the Project 921-2 space station program. Tiangong-2 was launched on 15 September 2016.[1] It was deorbited as planned on 19 July 2019.[2]

Tiangong-2 was neither designed nor planned to be a permanent orbital station; rather, it was intended as a testbed for key technologies used in the Tiangong station (Chinese large modular space station) of which the first module launched on 29 April 2021[3] and the remaining modules of which launched in 2022.[4]

History

See also: List of human spaceflights in Tiangong Program. The China Manned Space Engineering Office published a brief description of Tiangong-2 and its successor Tiangong-3 in 2008, indicating that at least two crewed spaceships would be launched to dock with Tiangong-2.

Tiangong-2 was originally expected to be launched by the China National Space Agency (CNSA) by 2015 [5] to replace the prototype module Tiangong-1, which was launched in September 2011.[6] In March 2011, Chinese officials stated that Tiangong-2 was scheduled to be launched by 2015.[5] [7] An uncrewed cargo spacecraft will dock with the station,[5] allowing for resupply.[8]

In September 2014, its launch was postponed to September 2016.[9] Plans for visits in October 2016 by the crewed mission Shenzhou 11 and the uncrewed resupply craft Tianzhou were made public.[10] The station was successfully launched from Jiuquan aboard a Long March 2F rocket on 15 September 2016.[11] Shenzhou 11 (Only Expedition) successfully docked with Tiangong-2 on 19 October 2016.

Aboard the Shenzhou 11, launched from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert, were Commander Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong who formed the inaugural crew for the space laboratory.[12] It was China's first crewed mission for more than three years.

During the 30 days the two astronauts were aboard Tiangong-2, they conducted a number of scientific and technical experiments on the physiological effects of weightlessness, tests on human-machine collaboration on in-orbit maintenance technology and released an accompanying satellite successfully. Accompanying photography and near-distance fly-by observation were also carried out. They collected abundant data and made some achievements in programs of gamma-ray burst polarimeter, space cold atomic clock and preparation of new materials.[13]

Shenzhou 11 separated from the orbiting Tiangong-2 space laboratory on 17 November 2016, reentry module landed successfully at the expected site in central Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region at about 13:59 Beijing Time.[13]

On 22 April 2017, the cargo vessel Tianzhou-1 successfully docked with Tiangong-2 marking the first successful docking and refuelling with the orbiting space laboratory. It subsequently performed a second docking and refueling on 15 June 2017. On 12 September 2017, Tianzhou-1 performed the third and final docking and refuelling with Tiangong-2, with what is termed a fast docking which took 6.5 hours, rather than 2 days, to complete.[14]

In June 2018, Tiangong-2 performed orbital maneuvers lowering the orbit to 292 × 297 kilometers, likely in preparation for deorbiting. It then returned to its usual orbit.[15] [16]

In July 2019, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that it was planning to deorbit Tiangong-2 in the near future, but no specific date was given.[17] The station subsequently made a controlled reentry on 19 July 2019 and burned up over the South Pacific Ocean.[18]

Dimensions

The dimensions of Tiangong-2 were:

Further developments

See main article: Chinese space station. Tianhe is the core module of the Chinese space station. The core module and its other parts launched between 2021 and 2022.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: de Selding. Peter B.. China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N.. 20 June 2016. SpaceNews.
  2. Web site: China set to carry out controlled deorbiting of Tiangong-2 space lab. 12 July 2019.
  3. News: China launches first module of new space station . BBC News . 29 April 2021 . 4 June 2021.
  4. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-space-idUSKBN17U0GG China to begin construction of manned space station in 2019
  5. Web site: China to launch Tiangong-2 and cargo spacecraft in 2015. GB Times. 13 June 2013. 16 June 2013. 18 March 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160318231956/http://gbtimes.com/china/china-launch-tiangong-2-and-cargo-spacecraft-2015. dead.
  6. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-15089720 "Tiangong-1 launch betrays China's earthly ambitions"
  7. News: David. Leonard. China Details Ambitious Space Station Goals . 9 March 2011. SPACE.com. 11 March 2011. China is ready to carry out a multiphase construction program that leads to the large space station around 2020. As a prelude to building that facility, China is set to loft the Tiangong-1 module this year as a platform to help master key rendezvous and docking technologies..
  8. http://thespacereview.com/archive/1565a.pdf "China manned spaceflight program"
  9. News: China's Space Station is Still on Track. Morris Jones. SpaceDaily. 11 September 2014.
  10. News: China to launch second space lab in 2016: official. 10 September 2014. SpaceDaily. AFP.
  11. News: China successfully launches Tiangong-2 space lab. CCTV News. 15 September 2016.
  12. News: Two crewed space stations now orbiting Earth . Clark. Stuart. 2016-10-20. The Guardian. 0261-3077. 2016-10-22.
  13. Web site: SCIO briefing on China's Tiangong 2 and Shenzhou 11 manned space mission. China.org.cn. 24 November 2016. 19 November 2016.
  14. Web site: China's Tianzhou-1 cargo craft and Tiangong-2 space laboratory perform final orbital docking. GB Times. 12 September 2017. 15 September 2017. 15 August 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180815164519/https://gbtimes.com/chinas-tianzhou-1-cargo-craft-and-tiangong-2-space-lab-perform-final-orbital-docking. dead.
  15. Web site: China appears to be preparing to deorbit its Tiangong 2 space lab. Andrew Jones. SpaceNews . 20 June 2018.
  16. Web site: China's Space Station Got Weirdly Close to Earth For a Few Days and the Government Isn't Talking. Michelle Starr. Science Alert. 25 June 2018.
  17. News: China set to carry out controlled deorbiting of Tiangong-2 space lab. Andrew. Jones. SpaceNews. 12 July 2019. 17 July 2019.
  18. News: China has deorbited its experimental space station. The Verge. Andrew. Liptak. 20 July 2019. 21 July 2019.
  19. News: China unveils rival to International Space Station. 27 April 2011. The Guardian. 26 April 2011. China often chooses poetic names for its space projects, such as Chang'e – after the moon goddess – for its lunar probes; its rocket series, however, is named Long March, in tribute to communist history. The space station project is currently referred to as Tiangong, or "heavenly palace".. London. Tania. Branigan. Ian . Sample.