Tiangong-2

Tiangong-2
天宫二号
A rendering of Tianzhou 1 (left) docked to Tiangong 2.
Station statistics
COSPAR ID2016-057A
SATCAT no.41765
Crew2 (from Shenzhou 11)
19 October – 17 November 2016
Launch15 September 2016,
14:04:09 UTC
Carrier rocketLong March 2F/G
Launch padJiuquan, LA-4 / SLS-1
Reentry19 July 2019
Mass8,600 kg (19,000 lb)
Length10.4 m (34 ft)
Diameter3.35 m (11.0 ft)
Pressurised volume14 m3 (490 cu ft)
Periapsis altitude369.65 km (229.69 mi)
Apoapsis altitude378.4 km (235.1 mi)
Orbital inclination42.79°
Orbital speed7.68 km/s (4.77 mi/s)
Orbital period92.0 minutes
Days occupied26 days 11.3 hours
Statistics as of 22 September 2016
References:[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Configuration
Plan diagram of Tiangong 2 with solar panels extended
Tiangong-2
Simplified Chinese天宫二号
Traditional Chinese天宮二號
Literal meaningCelestial Palace-2 or Heavenly Palace-2
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinTiāngōng Èrhào
Gwoyeu RomatzyhTiangong ellhaw
Wade–GilesT'ien1kung1 erh4hao4
Yale RomanizationTyāngūng èrhàu
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationTīngūng yihhouh
JyutpingTin1 gung1 ji6 hou6
Space Laboratory
Simplified Chinese空间实验室
Traditional Chinese空間實驗室
Literal meaningSpace Laboratory
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinKōngjiān shíyàn shì
Gwoyeu Romatzyhkongjian shyryann shyh
Wade–Gilesk'ung1chien1 shih2yen4 shih4

Tiangong-2 (Chinese: 天宫二号; pinyin: Tiāngōng èrhào; lit. 'Celestial Palace 2') was a Chinese space laboratory and part of the Project 921-2 space station program. Tiangong-2 was launched on 15 September 2016.[7] It was deorbited as planned on 19 July 2019.[8]

Tiangong-2 was neither designed nor planned to be a permanent orbital station; rather, it was intended as a testbed for key technologies used in the Tiangong station (Chinese large modular space station) of which the first module launched on 29 April 2021[9] and the remaining modules of which launched in 2022.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference chinaspacereport-tiangong2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ukg20110426 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference xinhuanet20160916c135689907 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference xinhuanet20160916c135690978 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference cnn-20160915 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference spacetrack-41765d20160922 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ de Selding, Peter B. (20 June 2016). "China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N." SpaceNews.
  8. ^ "China set to carry out controlled deorbiting of Tiangong-2 space lab". 12 July 2019.
  9. ^ "China launches first module of new space station". BBC News. 29 April 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  10. ^ China to begin construction of manned space station in 2019 Reuters 28 April 2017