China launches first key module of new permanent space station

BEIJING – China has launched a first key Tianhe module of a new permanent space station.

The space station was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Centre on a Long March-5B rocket to be operational by next year.

The only current space station in orbit is International Space Station which is a collaboration of Russia, the US, Canada, Europe and Japan while China was blocked from participating in it.

China hopes to have the new station operational by 2022.

So far, China has sent two previous space stations into orbit. The Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 were trial stations though, simple modules that allowed only relatively short stays by astronauts.

The new, 66-tonne, multi-module Tiangong station is set to be operational for at least 10 years.