China launches final space station module ‘Mengtian’
- November 1, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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China launches final space station module ‘Mengtian’
Subject: Science and Technology
Context:
- Recently China launched its final space station module ‘Mengtian’ through the Long March-5BY4 carrier rocket.
What is “Mengtian” module:
- The name “Mengtian” means “dreaming of the heavens”.
- It is the third and final module Tiangong space station
- The module is expected to be operational for 10 years or more.
- It is the second of the two modules that will host science labs required for conducting research.
- Mengtian weighs in at about 23 tons, is 17.9 meters long and has a diameter of 4.2 meters.
- This module will be docked on the core module Tianhe and will complete the T-shaped structure of the space station along with the other module Wentian.
- Mengtian will have workstations supporting experiments related to microgravity scientific studies and frontier scientific projects focusing on fluid physics, combustion and materials science and space technologies.
- It will provide a pressurized environment required for conducting scientific experiments in freefall or zero gravity, which could not be undertaken on Earth for more than a few minutes.
- It will also support experiments on exposure to the space environment, cosmic rays, vacuum and solar winds.
What is the Tiangong Space Station:
- The Tiangong space station is a Chinese space station built in low Earth orbit between 340 and 450 kilometers above the earth.
- It is part of China Manned Space Program and is the country’s first long-term space station.
- The three modules of the Tiangong Space Station are
- The Tianhe means “Harmony of the Heavens” is the core module.
- Wentian means “Quest for the Heavens” is a laboratory cabin module.
- Mengtian means “Dreaming of the Heavens” is a laboratory module.
- With the fully functioning of the Space station China will become only the third country in history to have put both astronauts into space and to build a space station, after Russia and the US.
- It is one-fifth the mass of the International Space Station