HONG KONG—China has successfully docked the final module to its space station, marking a milestone in Beijing’s long-coveted ambition of becoming a world-leading space power.
The 23-ton module, dubbed Mengtian, or “Dreaming of the Heavens,” lifted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on China’s southern island province of Hainan on Monday, according to China’s National Space Administration. It docked 13 hours later to the first two modules—the core module, Tianhe (“Harmony of the Heavens”), and the first research module, Wentian (“Quest for the Heavens”).
Wentian was designed for biology research, but Mengtian is designed to primarily study fundamental physics and microgravity—the condition in which objects and people, under extremely tiny gravitational pull, appear to be weightless. It includes 13 cabinets with the equipment to perform experiments for fluid physics, material science, combustion science and aerospace technology, the space administration said.
The chief designer of the Mengtian Space Application System, He Yufeng, told state media the module could also be used to develop quantum technologies—a field of research in which China has rapidly advanced and, in some areas, has become a world leader. Mengtian includes facilities, for example, to conduct experiments with ultra-cold atoms, one of the ingredients that scientists have tried to use to develop quantum computers, experimental devices designed to perform calculations far faster than conventional electronic computers.
With the addition of the third module, the completed space station, Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”), now weighs around 150,000 pounds and has 4,000 cubic feet of living space. Its weight is roughly one-sixth that of the International Space Station, which has hosted more than 250 astronauts from 20 countries, including 161 from the U.S. and 56 from Russia.
In 2011, Congress passed a law prohibiting NASA from using its funding for any collaborations with China’s space program, effectively barring Chinese astronauts from participating in the ISS. The move fueled Beijing’s efforts to develop its own independent space-research facility, and China became the third country to do so, after the U.S. and Russia, in 2021 with the launch of Tianhe.
The station is designed to be operational for more than 10 years, with robotic arms for maintenance and construction. With the ISS set to retire after 2030—a six-year extension to the previous timeline—China’s Tiangong could become the only space station in orbit for its last few years.
Scientists say the station is a welcome contribution for continuing research that can only be conducted in space, such as observing earth, studying astronomical phenomena such as cosmic radiation, and running experiments that require low gravity or ultra-cold temperatures.
During the Communist Party congress last month, Chinese leader Xi Jinping marked the country’s achievements in its space program, including its manned space flights, lunar and Mars landings, and satellite navigation. He stressed the need to continue pushing for breakthroughs and self-reliance in strategic technologies, including in the aerospace industry.
China has said it plans to make its space station a hub for international scientific cooperation and has already cooperated with France, Germany, Italy, Russia, Pakistan and other space agencies since the launch of its manned space project, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in April.
In August, seeds planted by the first group of Chinese astronauts on Tiangong successfully grew into seedlings, as part of one of the station’s earliest experiments aiming to replicate and observe the full life cycle for plants.
Corrections & Amplifications
Wang Wenbin is a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry. An earlier version of this article incorrectly said he is the Foreign Minister. (Corrected on Nov. 1)
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