Tianhe ( Chinese trad. 天和 , literally: “Milky Way”, Tianhe) is the basic module [1] of the Chinese modular space station . It is a station control center. The experimental modules " Wentian " and " Mentian " [2] [3] , as well as transport ships and spacewalks, can be docked to it. It consists of three parts - the service (instrument-aggregate) compartment, the laboratory compartment (smaller diameter) and a special front docking compartment of a spherical shape. It is planned to install solar panels and a large manipulator in the laboratory compartment. Also, on the outer surface of the Tianhe, gyrodynamic units, liquid engines, antennas for communication with the Earth, and systems for adjusting moorings and ensure docking are installed [4] . This module has a mass of 24 tons, its length is 18.1 meters, and its diameter is 4.1 meters.
| China Modular Space Station Module | |
| Tianhe | |
|---|---|
| 天和, Tianhe | |
 Appearance of the Tianhe base module (left - spherical docking compartment) | |
| Start place | Wenchang |
| Launch vehicle | Cz-5b |
| Launch | 2019 year (planned) |
| Specifications | |
| Weight | 24 000 kg |
| Dimensions | 18.1 x 4.1 m |
| Docking Nodes | five |
| Docking Connections | |
Outwardly, Tianhe-1 resembles the Zvezda modules or the base unit of the Mir orbital station, which in turn are based on the Salyut station modules. Therefore, the configuration of the modules may resemble “Mir” - the first multimodular space station.
Launch
It is planned to launch the module into orbit in 2019 with the help of the Changzheng-5 B heavy rocket from the Wenchang cosmodrome [5] .
Notes
- ↑ China's Space Station Plans In Powerpoint: A Closer Look At Tiangong 3 . Date of treatment August 14, 2016.
- ↑ China will launch the base module of the space station in 2018 . China Internet Information Center (April 21, 2016). Date of treatment August 14, 2016.
- ↑ Journal of Cosmonautics News - Journal . novosti-kosmonavtiki.ru. Date of treatment August 14, 2016.
- ↑ I. Lisov. Chinese “World”, Chinese “Apollo” // Cosmonautics News: Journal. - 2016. - May ( t. 26 , No. 07 (402) ). - S. 32-34 . - ISSN 1561-1078 .
- ↑ China's space station plan bolstered by year of successes . Spaceflight Now (April 29, 2017).