Beijing, China:
China is preparing to launch a rocket carrying supplies for its new space station just days immediately after landing a rover on Mars, as it hustles ahead with its extraterrestrial ambitions.
Beijing has pumped billions into its space programme in a bid to make up ground on pioneers Russia and the United States, with ambitious projects in Earth orbit and the landing of uncrewed craft on the Moon and Mars.
But it was heavily reprimanded by the United States and lots of professionals for a potentially risky breach of space etiquette for letting a huge rocket segment totally free-fall to Earth earlier this month immediately after launching the core module of China’s space station.
In the upcoming mission, the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft will blast off on a 14-tonne Long March 7 rocket, and is anticipated to carry essentials such as meals and space suits to the core module.
The space station — named Tiangong, which means “heavenly palace” — will have to have about 10 missions in total to total assembly in orbit.
Officials have not provided an precise time for the most up-to-date mission, but say it will be launched from the southern island of Hainan.
China’s maritime authorities have issued a navigation alert mentioning a “rocket launching” in between 1700 GMT and 1800 GMT on Wednesday (in between 1 am and 2 am in China), according to the Japanese Coast Guard site.
Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, stated the building of the space station has entered a “critical stage”.
It is anticipated to stay in low Earth orbit for up to 15 years.
With the feasible retirement of the International Space Station immediately after 2028, China’s could turn into the only human outpost in Earth orbit.
Although Chinese authorities have stated they are open to foreign collaboration on their space station, the scope of that cooperation is as but unclear.
But the European Space Agency has currently sent astronauts to China to train for work inside Tiangong when it is prepared.
The most up-to-date cargo launch will come just days immediately after China landed its Zhurong rover on Mars, becoming only the third nation to effectively land a craft on the red planet.
The rover is anticipated to quickly start off studying Martian geology, spending about 3 months taking pictures and harvesting information from a vast northern lava plain.
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