View the Chinese space station's massive solar wings as they move above the planet (picture)

The Tiangong space station's massive solar arrays are visible revolving in a new image from China's manned spaceflight agency, CMSA, while our blue and white planet passes beneath.



The Wentian experiment module, which premiered in July, contains the arrays.

 

The two solar panels on Wentian are almost 98 feet (30 meters) long each. Their combined wingspan is more than 180 feet (55 meters). The collecting area of each solar panel is approximately 1,184 square feet (110 square meters).

 

In October, China intends to send a third and final module to Tiangong. That experiment module, known as Mengtian, will also be equipped with two sizable solar arrays, identical to those of Wentian. 

The Wentian module will be greeted by three Shenzhou 14 mission astronauts who are currently on Tiangong and getting ready for their first extravehicular exercise, or spacewalk, from the Wentian module.

The solar panels are intended to power the Tiangong space station, which China intends to maintain permanently inhabited for more than ten years by rotating crews of three astronauts. 

The International Space Station, which is older and larger, uses solar panels with a wingspan of 240 feet (73 meters) to power its operations in orbit. 

Tiangong will have a mass when it is finished that is almost 20% greater than the International Space Station's mass of 460 tons.

 

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https://www.space.com/china-tiangong-space-station-solar-array-video

 


Sixtus Onyedikachi

26 Blog posts

Comments
IBRAHIM ABDUL GANIY 2 yrs

Good

 
 
Humphrey Arinze Chukwu 2 yrs

Quite a huge breakthrough in space research

 
 
Eyitoni Omayuku 2 yrs

This people called Chinese they are extremely intelligent

 
 
Chukwuemeka Obiora 2 yrs

Okay, good to know