GLOBAL SPACE RACE - CHINESE

SPACE STATION

INTRODUCTION
The

Chinese space station, "Tiangong Space Station", is a planned

space station to be placed in low earth orbit.

It is part of the Chinese space program.

It is a third generation modular space station, comparable to the
Soviet/Russian Mir, Russian OPSEK and the ISS.

Operations

will be controlled from the Beijing Aerospace Command

and Control Centre in the People's Republic of China.

The planned launching date is around 2020.

CONTROLLED ECOLOGICAL LIFE SUPPORT

SYSTEM (CELS)
The system will regenerate all the basic life support materials including food, oxygen and water

to significantly reduce ground supplies and provide a fresh and green environment for
astronauts.

An experimental CELSS was set up by China Astronaut Research and Training Center in 2011.
During the experiment, four kinds of edible vegetables, namely lettuce, leaf lettuce, gynura
bicolor and sonchus oleraceus, were planted in a 36-square-meter area to absorb the carbon
dioxide exhaled by two astronauts and provide them with oxygen and 30-50 grams of fresh
vegetables per meal per person.

China claims to have made breakthroughs in key technologies during the experiment, such as

dynamic equilibrium regulation technology of "human-plant" atmosphere oxygen and carbon

dioxides exchange, comprehensive treatment and recycle technology of microorganism waste
water.

The close-loop level for the atmosphere, water and food are up to 100%, 85%, and 15%,
respectively.

The success of the experiment has laid the foundation for CELSS flight demonstration on
China's space station, which will be helpful for China's astronauts to get fresh vegetables,
improve their living conditions and relieve their mental stress.

STRUCTURE
The CSS is a third generation modular space station.
First generation space stations, such as early Salyut (fireworks) and

Almaz (diamond) stations and Skylab were single piece stations, and not
designed for resupply.

Salyut 6, 7 and Tiangong stations are designed for mid-mission resupply.

Mir, the International Space Station, OPSEK and the CSS are modular
space stations, assembled on-orbit from pieces launched separately.

Modularised design methods can greatly improve reliability reduce costs,

shorten development cycle, and meet diversified task requirements.

MODULES
The Core Cabin Module provides life support and living quarters for three crew
members, and provides guidance, navigation, and orientation control for the station.

The module also provides the stations power, propulsion, and life support systems.
The module consists of three sections, living quarters, service section and a docking
hub.

The living quarters will contain a kitchen and toilet, fire control equipment,

atmospheric processing and control equipment, computers, scientific apparatus,

communications equipment to see and hear ground control in Beijing, and other
equipment.

The first of two Laboratory Cabin Modules will provide additional navigation avionics,
propulsion and orientation control as backup functions for the CCM.

Both LCMs provide a pressurised environment for researchers to conduct science

experiments in freefall or Zero-gravity which could not be conducted on Earth for

more than a few minutes.

SYSTEMS
Electrical

Electrical power is provided by two steerable solar power arrays on

each module, which use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into
electricity. Energy is stored to power the station when it passes into
the Earths shadow. Resupply ships will replenish fuel for the station's
propulsion engines for station keeping, to counter the effects of
atmospheric drag.
Docking

Foreign sources have stated that the docking mechanism strongly

resembles APAS-89/APAS-95, with one American source going as far
as to call it a clone.There have been contradicting claims on the
compatibility of the Chinese system with both current and future
docking mechanisms on the ISS.

END OF THE ORBIT

The

station has a service life of ten years. Chinese manned

spacecraft use deorbital burns to slow their velocity, resulting in
their re-entry to the earth's atmosphere.

Vehicles carrying a crew have a heat shield which prevents the

vehicle's destruction caused by aerodynamic heating upon contact
with the Earth's atmosphere.

The

CSS has no heat-shield, however small parts of space stations

can reach the surface of the Earth, so uninhabited areas are
targeted by de-orbit manoeuvres.

REFERENCES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_space_station
http://
isp.justthe80.com/world-space-watch/chinese-space-station

http://
www.extremetech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tiangong
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http://1.bp.blogspot.com/D6nJLhBqDyE/UksDBoy5G8I/AAAAAAAAHPI/lGjkjPcaQOI/s1600/
Station-ChinaAcademyofSpaceTechnology.jpg

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