Wentian space lab goes into orbit
By ZHAO LEI in Wenchang, Hainan/chinadaily.com.cn |
China Daily |
Updated: 2022-07-25 07:23
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To prepare for Wentian's arrival, the Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft departed from the Tiangong station on July 17 to leave its docking hatch for the lab. The cargo ship, which was launched in September and had remained connected to Tiangong since then, will be guided by ground controllers to eventually fall back to Earth.
Before Wentian's docking, Tiangong consisted of the Tianhe module, the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship and the Shenzhou XIV spacecraft.
Assembled at a manufacturing and testing complex in the northern municipality of Tianjin, Wentian was transported by ship and arrived in Wenchang in late April. It underwent function and prelaunch checks over the past three months at the launch center.
