The China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) said at the 74th International Astronautical Congress in Baku, Azerbaijan on October 4 that the Chinese space station's operating life will be more than 15 years.
Image of Chinese astronauts during the holiday. Photo: Reuters
China's self-built space station, called Tiangong, has been fully operational since late 2022, accommodating up to three astronauts at an orbital altitude of up to 450 km.
At 180 tons after expanding into six modules, Tiangong is still only 40 percent the mass of the ISS, which can accommodate seven astronauts. But the ISS, which has been in orbit for more than two decades, is scheduled to be decommissioned after 2030, around the same time China has announced it hopes to become a “space power.”
Chinese state media said "several countries" had asked to send their astronauts to the Tiangong station.
Tiangong has become a symbol of China's growing power and confidence in its space efforts, and a new challenge to the United States in this field.
Russia, a member of the ISS, has similar plans for space diplomacy. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, said last year that it was planning to build its own space station consisting of six modules that could accommodate up to four astronauts.
Trung Kien (according to Reuters)
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