The Chinese manned space agency has announced that the Wentian experimental module successfully docked with the main Tianhe module at 3:13 AM on July 25, according to Hanoi time.
The Wentian module docking with the main module of the space station. (Video: Xinhua)
China launched the Wentian experimental module into orbit yesterday afternoon. The Long March 5B Y3 rocket, carrying the Wentian module, lifted off at 1:22 PM on July 24 from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, southern China. Approximately 8 minutes later, the Wentian module separated from the rocket and entered orbit. The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) declared the launch mission a complete success.
This is the first time the rendezvous and docking process has occurred while astronauts are aboard the Chinese space station. The Shenzhou 14 crew, residing in the main module, will enter the Wentian module. They are the first Chinese astronauts to witness the docking of two large modules of the Tiangong space station in orbit.
On July 17, the Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft separated from the Tianhe module, leaving the docking port at the front for the Wentian module. The Shenzhou 14 crew also monitored the launch from orbit. Measuring 17.9 meters in length, with a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and a launch weight of 23 tons, Wentian is the largest and heaviest spacecraft ever developed by China. This module features living quarters similar to the Tianhe module, including three sleeping cabins, a toilet, and a kitchen.
The Wentian module will provide a larger scientific experiment platform in space. It primarily serves research on life sciences in space, equipped with a laboratory for ecology, biotechnology, and gravitational science. Wentian also has a small robotic arm that is half the length of the current robotic arm in the main module. This robotic arm has a payload capacity of about one-eighth that of its predecessor and five times the precision, enabling more complex operations. Its mission is to assist astronauts in extravehicular activities and inspect the condition of the spacecraft’s exterior.
Wentian will provide a larger scientific experiment platform in space.
The Mengtian experimental module, the final component of the space station, is scheduled for launch in October 2022. At that time, the Chinese space station will have a T-shaped structure with the main Tianhe module in the center and the Wentian and Mengtian modules on either side. The Mengtian module will facilitate research in microgravity science, equipped with multiple interdisciplinary laboratories for fluid physics, materials science, combustion science, fundamental physics, and aerospace technology experiments. According to Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of CMSEO, nearly 100 experiments will be conducted during the construction of the space station.
