China Unveils Plans To Build Space Station By 2020

China unveiled plans for the next phase of its ambitious space program yesterday, including the development of both a space station and a cargo spaceship.

As Popular Science reports, the space station will support a crew of three and will be composed of a core module and two laboratories where astronomy, microgravity, and biological experiments will be conducted, while a cargo spaceship will be built to transport supplies. "The 60-ton space station is rather small compared to the International Space Station [419 tons], and Russia's Mir Space Station [137 tons] which served between 1996 and 2001," Pang Zhihao, a researcher and deputy editor-in-chief of the monthly magazine, Space International, told China Daily. "But it is the world's third multi-module space station, which usually demands much more complicated technology than a single-module space lab," he said. The project is expected to be completed by 2020 and could be the only space station in orbit in the decade following 2020, according to Popular Science.

Wang Wenbao, Director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, called for "resounding and encouraging" submissions from the public on a name for the new spacecraft, which is currently being referred to as Tiangong or "heavenly palace." "We now feel that the public should be involved in the names and symbols as this major project will enhance national prestige, and strengthen the national sense of cohesion and pride," Wang said.

As the Guardian reports, the project -- which heralds a shift in the balance of power among spacefaring nations -- is being described by officials as a "potent political symbol" for China. "China is a big country. It is a powerful country, and they are getting richer and richer," said Bernardo Patti, head of the space station program at the European Space Agency. "They want to establish themselves as key players in the international arena...they have decided politically that they want to be autonomous, and that is their call. They must have had some political evaluation that suggests this option is better than the others, and I would think autonomy is the key word."

Comments

[Envisioner]

11:59 AM on 05/17/2011

I am proud of my country. Go China! We will break through the technological iron grip of the west and advance along our own path of success in all fields.

Sorry that I abuse human rights, but I guess some people just have to look over that!!!

[DeuxExMachina]

07:52 PM on 05/01/2011

China wasn’t going to wait for the USA to invite her to join the International Space Station. That is not in the US’s interest to show her anything that may have interest for China’s own space program. China developing her own capabilities in space ensures that there is not a one-sided control of both scientific data gathered about the universe and the militarization of space by the USA and her allies (e.g NSA , Echelon, spy satellites, space spy planes, hypersonic bombers).
While China may be a decade behind in making state-of-the-art electronics compared to the West and her space program is likewise behind the USA’s, it is almost on par with the European Arianne rockets in safety and successful launches. The Chinese have also sent men into space on their own rockets which the Europeans haven’t yet. The Europeans initially invited China onto Galileo for the price of USD 300 million and then promptly booted the latter off when it turned into a EU government intiative owing to a lack of financing. The Chinese developed Compass GNSS system is now is slightly ahead of the European Galileo system and that is despite the Swiss company not suppling the Chinese with the more accurate atomic clocks that Galileo uses. Like the ESA and the Russians the Chinese are developing a heavy-launch rocket.
China is doing things in stages and cautiously (slow) but then that allows for a more sustainable program within a limited budget.

[osofar]

02:52 AM on 04/28/2011

China, moving ahead in technology. Meanwhile, the USA continues to decline with its funding of three wars without end. And, the USA's citizens are on top of knowing about birth certificates, Royal weddings, and the First Family's fashion statements.

[Chris Morrison]

09:03 AM on 04/28/2011

Incoming orbital EMP weapon by 2025.

[Kathleen Morse]

02:35 AM on 04/28/2011

I can not care about anything China does until they release Ai Weiwei the artist they have taken and has not been seen or heard from since. They must cleanup their dismal Human Rights history.

[osofar]

02:53 AM on 04/28/2011

We can first clean up the USA's dismal human rights history, before telling other nations what to do.

[Kathleen Morse]

03:11 AM on 04/28/2011

We have our own issues no doubt, but right now they are holding an innocent man Ai Weiwei who has not had any contact with family or council and has not been seen or heard from. If I find that or anything like it happening here I will despise and write about that too. You can't clean up history, only not let it repeat itself.

[rboatright]

12:41 PM on 04/28/2011

I agree that they need to clean up their human rights practices.

However, to claim that the actions of one billion people should be ignored by us because of that is burying your head in the sand.

The chinese are moving from being an emerging economy to being THE major economic force in the world. We have to pay attention to that.

This statement by the Chinese, their intention to orbit a space station is a statement that they have the economic surplus to do that, that they are prosperous enough to build a space station. That says a lot about Chinese internal economics. China is a totalitarian socialist polity which is running something approaching a free market economy. It's close to unique in human history, and we will need to pay careful attention to what happens over the next few years. It's not the time to ignore them.

The only nation I can think of which is comparable to China in its organization is Iran, and of course, China is a zillion times larger both physically and economically.

Finally, China has FAR WORSE human rights abuses than disappearing one artist. Heck, Argentina, Guatamala, Nicaragua, etc have all done LOTS of that dissappearing thing. The Chinese suppression of the Tibetians, the Chinese suppression of Falun Gong, of pentecostal christians, of Baha'is, etc etc, all outweight one dissappeared artist.

[Kathleen Morse]

01:43 PM on 04/29/2011

rboatright, I 'm not advocating that others care or don't about anything. I said I can not care. Just me. I do value your informed input and have fanned you. The facts are the facts, but the heart knows what the heart knows.

[I3edlam]

02:02 AM on 04/28/2011

Hope China's not going to just go up there just to pleasure itself. If they're going to be benefiting science and humanity as a whole then sure, but if it's just to stroke their ego's and make themselves feel better about their inferiority complex than there's probably better places to put their money.

[VapeGirl]

01:32 AM on 04/28/2011

They'll fake it like they faked their spacewalk.

[sashino6]

08:10 AM on 05/16/2011

又一个敌视中国乃至敌视一切在中国的科学进步的白人至上主义者

STUPID GUY

[Pod-gers]

06:34 PM on 04/27/2011

"They want to establish themselves as key players in the international arena...they have decided politically that they want to be autonomous, and that is their call. They must have had some political evaluation that suggests this option is better than the others, and I would think autonomy is the key word."

Balony!

China wanted to be included in joint space station efforts, and we refused them. So that is why they are going it alone. I doubt they will be alone for long.

BTW, one reason China is right on our heals in space is because we got rid of the great rocket scientist, seacrh for "China Rocket King."

http://english.cri.cn/4406/2008/03/05/[e-mail]
.

[popart]

04:36 PM on 04/27/2011

been there done that...how about a trip to mars?

[Mrclouds]

05:25 PM on 04/27/2011

You got the money for it ?

[osofar]

02:54 AM on 04/28/2011

China will get there before the USA, as they do not waste their money on wars without end.

[allperils]

03:54 PM on 04/27/2011

Good stuff China, I'll remember this news piece today and see if you guys really do build a manned space station by 2021.

[osofar]

02:55 AM on 04/28/2011

China is ahead of all its stated space goals.

[narutoa]

07:59 AM on 05/16/2011

说到做到一向是我们的风格
WE CHINESE DON'T LIKE INDIANS WHO SAYS THAT IN IT 2015 WILL SEND A MAN TO MOON HHAHAHAHA

[czs5056]

02:53 PM on 04/27/2011

I would like to nominate "Stephen Colbert" for the space station name

[allperils]

03:54 PM on 04/27/2011

Okay.