Tiangong space station
China’s crewed modular space station in low Earth orbit, assembled from the Tianhe core module and two laboratory modules.
Tianhe core module: The central Tiangong module that provides crew living space, station control, propulsion, and docking ports. Tianhe supplies the station’s core functions and served as the assembly’s starting point.
Orbital rendezvous: The process of matching spacecraft trajectories and velocities to meet at the same point in orbit. Crew and cargo vehicles must rendezvous with Tiangong before docking.
Project 921: China’s human spaceflight program, approved in 1992 and developed through crewed spacecraft and space-station projects. Project 921 established the program that ultimately built and operates Tiangong.
Microgravity research: Scientific investigation under conditions of very low apparent weight, commonly conducted aboard orbiting spacecraft. Tiangong provides a sustained platform for experiments that benefit from microgravity.
International Space Station: A multinational crewed research station in low Earth orbit, operated through partnership among five space agencies. The ISS is a larger multinational station, unlike Tiangong’s national operational structure.
Wentian laboratory module: A Tiangong laboratory module launched in 2022, with experiment facilities, an airlock, and a robotic arm. Wentian expanded the station’s research capacity and added equipment for spacewalks.
Spacecraft docking: The joining of two spacecraft in orbit through compatible mechanical and electrical interfaces. Docking connects visiting Shenzhou and Tianzhou vehicles to Tiangong.
Tiangong-1: China’s first experimental space laboratory, launched in 2011 and used for crewed and uncrewed docking tests. Tiangong-1 tested technologies later needed for a permanent modular station.
Space biology: The study of how biological systems respond to spaceflight conditions such as microgravity and radiation. Experiments aboard Tiangong examine how organisms and biological processes change in orbit.
Salyut program: A series of Soviet space stations launched between 1971 and 1986 for military and civilian missions. Salyut shows an earlier path from single-module stations toward sustained orbital habitation.