A Tour of China’s Future Tiangong Space Station

A new outpost for astronauts will soon be finished in orbit: China’s new Tiangong space station, or Heavenly Palace. Tiangong will be able to support three astronauts, or up to six people during crew rotations.

The unfinished station has already hosted three astronauts, who spent 90 days living aboard and continuing the construction process. The next crew is expected to launch in October.

Tiangong will be built in several stages over the next year. Here’s a look at the main components that will make up the station.

Tianhe

Launched April 29

The Tianhe control center was the first section to launch. A central docking hub will connect the module to other sections of the space station, or to visiting spacecraft. Tianhe also has a hatch for astronauts to enter and exit the station.

Experiment Modules

Planned for 2022

Wentian and Mengtian are two experiment modules that will connect to the Tianhe core module. Astronauts will conduct research in biotechnology, microgravity and space materials science.

Other spacecraft will visit the station regularly to deliver food, supplies and crew members. Tianzhou and Shenzhou are two such transit methods between Earth and the space station.

Tianzhou

The Tianzhou spacecraft are a series of automated ships that supply the space station with cargo and propellant. The Tianzhou-1 can carry 6 tons — the approximate weight of an adult elephant. Its interior is divided into a cargo compartment and a propulsion section.

Shenzhou

The piloted Shenzhou spacecraft carry astronauts and equipment to the space station. Each Shenzhou craft consists of an orbital module, a re-entry module and a service section. Earlier this summer, Shenzhou-12 carried astronauts Tang Hongbo, Nie Haisheng and Liu Boming to the partially constructed station.

According to the China National Space Administration, assembly of the Tiangong Space Station is scheduled for completion around 2022. The finished station will be smaller than the current International Space Station, which typically hosts a crew of about six or seven astronauts.