The wave of excitement in the field of space technology is currently high, with China’s successful launch of their ‘Long March 5B’ rocket and prototype spacecraft. This crucial achievement is seen as a stepping stone for the country to operate a permanent space station and send astronauts to the Moon. Not lagging behind, India too has plans on the drawing board for its own space station. A space station essentially is a spacecraft designed to house crew members for a prolonged duration in space and also to enable docking by other spacecrafts. Currently, the fully functional International Space Station (ISS) in Earth’s low orbit is a spectacular example where varied experiments are conducted by astronauts.
Deep Dive into ‘Long March 5B’ Rocket
The imposing ‘Long March 5B’ rocket was launched successfully from the Wenchang launch site located on the southern island of Hainan in China. Weighing an overwhelming 849 tonnes, this rocket symbolized an impressive feat of human engineering.
The Visionary Unmanned Prototype Spaceship
This prototype spaceship is expected to be the vessel that transports astronauts to a space station that China aims to complete by 2022. The ultimate aspiration is to send it eventually to the Moon. Designed with commendable foresight, it will have the capacity to carry a crew of six members.
Briefing Future Missions by China
China has big plans under their sleeves for space explorations in the coming years. The assembly of the Tiangong space station is scheduled to begin this year and reach completion by 2022. The grand vision includes sending an astronaut to the Moon in approximately a decade and then establishing a base there. However, it should be mentioned that the United States remains the only nation so far to have successfully sent humans to the Moon.
International Space Station (ISS): A Modern Marvel
The ISS stands as an awe-inspiring artificial satellite, marking itself as the largest man-made structure in the low earth orbit. Launched into orbit in 1998, its first component has been circling the Earth approximately every 92 minutes, making an impressive 15.5 orbits per day. The ISS is an exceptional result of collaborative efforts by five participating space agencies such as NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada). The ownership and use of the ISS has been diligently established through intergovernmental treaties and agreements.
A Glimpseinto the Life at ISS
The ISS serves as a unique microgravity and space environment research laboratory where crew members engage in conducting a wide range of experiments spanning biology, human biology, physics, astronomy, meteorology, and various other fields. The continuous presence on the ISS has led to the longest known spell of human presence in the low earth orbit. As per current plans, the ISS is slated to remain operational until 2030.
