MARK McDONALD, New York Times
HONG KONG — The Heavenly Palace, the first module in China’s permanent space station, will be launched next year, a senior aerospace official confirmed Wednesday.
The official, Qi Faren, said the craft, an orbiting laboratory known in Mandarin as Tiangong-1, would initially serve as a docking station for other spacecraft. His remarks were carried by Xinhua, the official news agency. A model of the module was unveiled during New Year celebrations last year. The 8.5-ton laboratory is expected to be 30 feet long, with a crew of three.
The China National Space Administration said it planned three docking missions with the lab next year. The space agency’s long-range plans include a permanent space station that will incorporate the Tiangong-1, and a lunar mission by 2022.
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