China and Russia are discussing a joint project of an orbital space station
The other day it became known that representatives of the space program of China are going to discuss with Roskosmos the possibility of creating a joint orbital station. This is reported by RIA Novosti.
“The delegation’s visit to Moscow is planned at the end of this week. The issue of cooperation in the field of manned programs will be discussed with Chinese colleagues, ”said a source from the Russian rocket and space industry, who wished to remain anonymous. China is interested in joint cooperation because Russia has a vast experience of long-term space flights and the construction of fairly large space objects.
Beijing can provide its own space technology to its Russian colleagues. For example, earlier the issue of sharing information and experience stood during the discussion of expanding cooperation in the projects of studying the Moon and creating joint orbital groups.
Anton Zhiganov, executive director of Roscosmos for business and commercialization, said that Russia plans to cooperate with China in the project to create a super-heavy rocket. These plans were confirmed by the Secretary General of the Chinese National Space Administration, Yulong Tian.
China also has considerable experience in the development and launch of orbital stations. So, in 2011, the state sent the Tyangun-1 station into orbit. It was a prototype that recently de-orbited. "Tyangun-1" construction was not much different from the Soviet stations "Almaz" and "Salyut". Her China used to test the autonomous life support systems for astronauts and to test docking with spacecraft.
"Tyangun-1" Taikonauts visited in 2011, 2012 and 2013. In 2016, China sent another station into orbit, Tyangun-2 . It is also uninhabitable, the team of Taikonauts arrive there to check the status of the modules only from time to time. And in 2020, China will begin construction of a large modular station.which will consist of three compartments. The station will receive two docking stations, which can be used both for space ships and for adding new modules.