China Completes Tiangong By Flaring A Study Module For Zero Gravity Experiments

China has re-launched its third module for Tiangong Space Station, Mengtian (photo; Twitter CNSpaceflight)

JAKARTA - China has re-launched its third module for Tiangong Space Station, Mengtian, which has been designed to allow scientists to conduct experiments in zero gravity.

The launch of the Mentian Laboratory Cabin Module, which means Dreaming of Heaven, follows the successful addition of the Marintian module to China's Tiangong station on July 24.

LikeTENtian and Tianhe's core modules launched in April 2021, Mengtian launched behind the Chang Zheng 5B Y4 rocket, also known in English as Long March 5B, from the Wenchang space base in the tropical island province of Hainan.

With a length of 17.9 meters, and a diameter of 4.2 meters, Mengtian is able to provide space for science experiments at zero gravity, unlocks for exposure to vacuum, and small robotic arms to support extravehicular payloads.

Mengti is divided into three compartments. The crew's work partner is a pressurized section containing storage shelves for science instruments, as well as accommodating a docking interface that will connect Mengtian with Tianhe's core module.

Then, there are work compartments containing a variety of instruments, science rooms, fluid physics shelves to study fluid behavior in zero gravity, experimental shelves of ultracooled atoms, maintenance work stations as well as damage and others.

Ultracooled atomic experiments aim to reach temperatures of 10 picokelvin, which will break record low temperatures ever achieved by humanity, and surpass similar experiments that have been carried out by NASA at the Cold Atom Lab on the International Space Station (ISS).

Launching Space, Tuesday, November 1, Mengtian's anchor with Tiangong marked the end of the space station assembly phase and the full start of operations. Where, Tiangong now consists of Tianhe, Mengtian and Wentian modules.

Tiangong itself in the form of T will accommodate three astronauts for six months at once, or six crew members for a short time during the handover of the crew. The station is expected to remain operational for at least a decade and is a milestone for China's space ambitions.

In December, China plans to launch Xuntian, a space telescope that will orbit alongside Tiangong in a slightly different orbital phase to allow periodic docking with the station.