Tiangong-3 () was a proposed
Chinese space station
A space station (or orbital station) is a spacecraft which remains orbital spaceflight, in orbit and human spaceflight, hosts humans for extended periods of time. It therefore is an artificial satellite featuring space habitat (facility), habitat ...
, part of the
Tiangong program
The Tiangong program () is China's space program to create a modular space station, comparable to Mir. This program is independent and unconnected to any other international space-active countries. The program is part of the China Manned Spac ...
. The
China National Space Agency (CNSA) was originally expected to launch Tiangong-3 around 2015, following the launch of the
Tiangong-2
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. It was deorbited as planned on 19 July 2019.
Tiangong-2 was neither designed nor planned to be a ...
test laboratory, originally planned for 2013.
The goals for the Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3 laboratories were merged, and the latter was therefore not ordered.
The first module of the third station of the Tiangong program,
Tiangong space station
Tiangong (), officially the ''Tiangong'' space station (), is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China and operated by China Manned Space Agency. Tiangong is a modular design, with modules docked together while in low Earth o ...
, was eventually launched in 2021.
Development
In 2008, the
China Manned Space Engineering Office
China Manned Space Agency (abbreviated as CMSA) is a government agency of China responsible for the administration of China Manned Space Program, the Chinese human spaceflight program. The agency is under the Equipment Development Department o ...
(CMSEO) published a brief description of Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3, indicating that several crewed spaceships would be launched in the late 2010s to dock with Tiangong-3. The first Tiangong module,
Tiangong-1
Tiangong-1 () was China's first prototype space station. It orbited Earth from September 2011 to April 2018, serving as both a crewed laboratory and an experimental testbed to demonstrate orbital rendezvous and docking capabilities during it ...
, was launched in September 2011 and docked with the uncrewed
Shenzhou 8 spacecraft in November 2011, marking China's first orbital docking.
"Chinese spacecraft dock in orbit"
BBC News
BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...
, 2011-11-02.
Specifications
Tiangong-3 was expected to provide:
* Unaided 40-day habitability for three astronauts.[
* Testing for regenerative life-support technology, and verification of methods of orbital replenishment of propellant and air.][
* A multi- docking berthing mechanism,]
See also
* Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
The Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP; ), also known as the Chang'e Project () after the Chinese Moon goddess Chang'e, is an ongoing series of robotic Moon missions by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).
Engineering Program ...
* Chinese space program
The space program of the People's Republic of China is about the activities in outer space conducted and directed by the China, People's Republic of China. The roots of the Chinese space program trace back to the 1950s, when, with the help ...
* International Space Station
The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...
References
{{Space stations
Chinese space stations
Tiangong program
2015 in spaceflight
2015 in China
Cancelled space stations