Tiangong-1
{{Short description|Chinese space station (2011–2018)}}
{{About|the first prototype Chinese space station|China's permanent modular space station|Tiangong space station}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox space station
| station = Tiangong-1
天宫一号
| station_image = Model of the Chinese Tiangong Shenzhou.jpg
| station_image_size = 300px
| station_image_caption = Model of Tiangong-1 with docked Shenzhou crewed spacecraft.
| configuration_image = Tiangong_1_drawing_(cropped).png
| configuration_caption = Plan diagram of Tiangong-1 with solar panels extended
| COSPAR_ID = 2011-053A
| SATCAT = 37820
| launch = 29 September 2011,
13:16:03.507 UTC
| launch_pad = Jiuquan, LA-4/SLS-1
| carrier_rocket = Long March 2F/G
| mass = {{cvt|8506|kg}}{{cite web|url=https://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/nmc/spacecraft/display.action?id=2011-053A|title=Tiangong 1|publisher=NASA|access-date=13 May 2023}}
| length = {{cvt|10.4|m}}
| diameter = {{cvt|3.35|m}}
| pressure =
| reentry = 2 April 2018, 00:16 UTC {{cite web|url=https://www.space-track.org/basicspacedata/query/class/tip/NORAD_CAT_ID/37820/orderby/ID%20DESC/format/html/emptyresult/show|url-access=registration|title=Tracking and Impact Prediction|website=space-track.org|publisher=JFSCC/J3|date=1 April 2018|access-date=1 April 2018}}{{cite press release|first=Cody|last=Chiles|title=JFSCC tracks Tiangong-1's reentry over the Pacific Ocean|url=http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1481734/jfscc-tracks-tiangong-1s-reentry-over-the-pacific-ocean/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402161341/http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1481734/jfscc-tracks-tiangong-1s-reentry-over-the-pacific-ocean/|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2018|website=vandenberg.af.mil|access-date=3 April 2018|date=1 April 2018 |quote=U.S. Strategic Command's (USSTRATCOM) Joint Force Space Component Command (JFSCC), through the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC), confirmed Tiangong-1 reentered the Earth's atmosphere over the southern Pacific Ocean at approximately 17:16 (PST) 1 April 2018.}} {{PD-notice}}
2 April 2018 00:15 UTC (China Manned Space Engineering Office)
| occupied = 20 days, 18.5 hours
(Hatch open to hatch closed){{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/981521747286675456|website=Twitter|title=Tiangong 1 statistic discussions|author=Jonathan McDowell|author-link=Jonathan McDowell|date=April 4, 2018}}
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Tiangong-1
| altname = Target Vehicle
| showflag = stp
| s = 天宫一号
| t = 天宮一號
| p = Tiāngōng yīhào
| l = Celestial Palace 1 or Heavenly Palace 1
| w = T'ien1kung1 i1hao4
| j = Tin1 gung1 jat1 hou6
| y = Tīngūng yāthouh
| myr = Tyāngūng yīhàu
| poj = Thian-kong it-hō
| gr = Tiangong ihaw
| order = st
| s2 = 目标飞行器
| t2 = 目標飛行器
| p2 = Mùbiāo Fēixíngqì
| l2 = Target Vehicle
| w2 = mu4piao1 fei1hsing2ch'i4
| gr2 = muhbiau feishyngchih
}}
Tiangong-1 ({{zh|s=天宫一号|p=Tiāngōng yīhào|l=Heavenly Palace 1" or "Celestial Palace 1"|c=|t=}}) was China's first prototype space station.{{cite web |url=http://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2011/09/china-major-human-space-flight-milestone-tiangong-1s-launch/|title=China launches Tiangong-1 to mark next human space flight milestone|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com |date=28 September 2011|access-date=22 October 2011}} It orbited Earth from September 2011 to April 2018, serving as both a crewed laboratory and an experimental testbed to demonstrate orbital rendezvous and docking capabilities during its two years of active operational life.{{cite web|url=https://www.space.com/40108-china-space-station-tiangong-1-science-work.html |title=China's Doomed Space Station Did Some Science Work, Too |website=Space.com |date=28 March 2018 |first=Leonard |last=David }}
Launched uncrewed aboard a Long March 2F launch vehicle on 29 September 2011, it was the first operational component of the Tiangong program, which launched a larger, modular station into orbit in 2021.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24282060 |title=China to launch space station by 2023|publisher=BBC News|date=26 September 2013|access-date=1 October 2013}} Tiangong-1 was initially projected to be deorbited in 2013,[http://www.physorg.com/pdf236401869.pdf "China to launch module for future space station"] PhysOrg 28 September 2011 Retrieved 10 March 2013 to be replaced over the following decade by the larger Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3 space stations,{{cite web|url=http://gbtimes.com/news/china-launch-tiangong-2-and-cargo-spacecraft-2015|title=China to launch Tiangong-2 and cargo spacecraft in 2015|publisher=GB Times|date=13 June 2013|access-date=16 June 2013|archive-date=18 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618010943/http://gbtimes.com/news/china-launch-tiangong-2-and-cargo-spacecraft-2015|url-status=dead}} but it orbited until 2 April 2018.
Tiangong-1 was visited by a series of Shenzhou spacecraft during its two-year operational lifetime. The first of these, the uncrewed Shenzhou 8, successfully docked with the module in November 2011, while the crewed Shenzhou 9 mission docked in June 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18458544|title=China launches space mission with first woman astronaut|publisher=BBC News|date=16 June 2012|access-date=4 November 2013}}{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18377735|title=China to carry out crewed space flight|publisher=BBC News|date=9 June 2012|access-date=26 October 2012}} A third and final mission to Tiangong-1, the crewed Shenzhou 10, docked in June 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22843318|title=Shenzhou-10: China launches next crewed space mission|publisher=BBC News|date=11 June 2013|access-date=11 June 2013}} The crewed missions to Tiangong-1 were notable for including China's first female astronauts, Liu Yang and Wang Yaping.
On 21 March 2016, after a lifespan extended by two years, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that Tiangong-1 had officially ended its service. They went on to state that the telemetry link with Tiangong-1 had been lost.{{cite news|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Has_Tiangong_1_gone_rogue_999.html|title=Has Tiangong 1 gone rogue|newspaper=Space Daily|last=Jones|first=Morris|date=30 March 2016|access-date=22 September 2016}} A couple of months later, amateur satellite trackers watching Tiangong-1 found that China's space agency had lost control of the station. In September 2016, after conceding they had lost control over the station, officials speculated that the station would re-enter and burn up in the atmosphere late in 2017.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160915183425/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-09/14/c_135687885.htm "China's Tiangong-1 to fall to Earth late 2017"] Xinhua News Agency 14 September 2016 Retrieved 22 September 2016{{cite news|last=Guarino|first=Bin|date=21 September 2016|title=Out of control? China's Tiangong 1 space station will fall to Earth – somewhere – in 2017 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/09/21/out-of-control-chinas-tiangong-1-space-station-will-fall-to-earth-somewhere-in-2017/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=22 September 2016}} According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, Tiangong-1 started reentry over the southern Pacific Ocean, northwest of Tahiti, on 2 April 2018 at 00:16 UTC.{{cite web|url=http://en.cmse.gov.cn/art/2018/4/2/art_1763_32429.html|website=cmse.gov.cn|title=Tiangong-1 reenters the atmosphere|publisher=China Manned Space|date=2 April 2018|access-date=2 April 2018|archive-date=2 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180402094109/http://en.cmse.gov.cn/art/2018/4/2/art_1763_32429.html|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-43614408|title=Tiangong-1: Defunct China space lab comes down over South Pacific|date=1 April 2018|publisher=BBC News|access-date=1 April 2018}}{{cite news|last=Chang|first=Kenneth|title=China's Tiangong-1 Space Station Has Fallen Back to Earth Over the Pacific|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/01/science/chinese-space-station-crash-tiangong.html|date=1 April 2018|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=1 April 2018}}
Design and development
The China National Space Administration (CNSA) designed Tiangong-1 as an {{cvt|8500|kg}} "space-laboratory module", capable of supporting the docking of crewed and autonomous spacecraft. In 2008, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) released a brief description of Tiangong-1, along with its larger successor modules, Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3. A model of the space station was revealed in the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration program on CCTV on 25 January 2009.
On 29 September 2008, Zhang Jianqi ({{lang|zh|張建啟}}), vice-director of the CMSEO, declared in an interview with China Central Television (CCTV) that Tiangong-1 would be launched in 2010 or 2011. Xinhua News Agency later stated that Tiangong-1 would be launched in late 2010, and declared that the renovation of ground equipment was in progress. However, the launch did not ultimately take place until 2011.
By mid-2011, the construction of Tiangong-1 was complete, and its systems and thermal properties were undergoing testing. Testing was also conducted on the Long March 2F launch vehicle on which Tiangong-1 would be launched. Technicians undertook particularly extensive safety tests on the launch vehicle due to the recent launch failure of a Long March 2C launch vehicle.{{cite web|title=Malfunction at devices connection blamed for orbiter launch failure|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-09/06/c_131100892.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304073250/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/sci/2011-09/06/c_131100892.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=4 March 2016|agency=Xinhua News Agency|date=6 September 2011 |access-date=9 August 2015}}
= Structure =
Tiangong-1 had a pressurised habitable volume of approximately {{cvt|15|m3}}, and used passive APAS-type docking connectors.[http://www.americaspace.org/?p=9268 "China Accelerates Manned Space Program with Tiangong Docking Module and Advanced Shenzhou"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405051942/http://www.americaspace.org/?p=9268 |date=5 April 2012 }} AmericaSpace 23 September 2011 Retrieved 3 November 2011 Structurally, Tiangong-1 was divided into two primary sections: a resource module, which mounted its solar panels and propulsion systems, and a larger, habitable experimental module.[http://interspacenews.com/tabid/130/China_Launches_Tiangong-1_Space_Lab.aspx?id=7388 "China Launches Tiangong-1 Space Lab"] InterSpace News 29 September 2011 Retrieved 3 November 2011
= Onboard facilities =
Tiangong-1's experimental module was equipped with exercise gear and two sleep stations. The interior walls of the spacecraft had a two-colour paint scheme – one colour representative of the ground, and the other representative of the sky. This was intended to help the astronauts maintain their orientation in zero gravity. High-resolution interior cameras allowed crewed missions to be closely monitored from the ground, and the two sleep stations had individual lighting controls.[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Living_on_Tiangong_999.html "Living on Tiangong"] SpaceDaily 25 October 2011 Retrieved 29 October 2011 Toilet facilities and cooking equipment for the crewed missions were provided by the docked Shenzhou (spacecraft), rather than being integrated into the Tiangong module itself. Similarly, one member of the module's three-person crew slept in the Shenzhou spacecraft, preventing overcrowding.
Mission profile
= Background =
Tiangong-1 was originally intended to be launched in August 2011, and was delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on 23 July 2011, successfully passing a launch rehearsal test on 17 August 2011. However, following the failed launch of a Long March 2C launch vehicle in August 2011, the launch was postponed. Following an investigation into the August 2011 launch failure, Tiangong-1's launch was rescheduled for late September 2011, partly to coincide with the Chinese National Day on 1 October 2011.
= Launch =
On 20 September 2011, the spacecraft was again rolled out to Pad 1 of the South Launch Site at Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in preparation for the rescheduled launch attempt. The launch occurred at 13:16 UTC on 29 September 2011, successfully placing Tiangong-1 into low Earth orbit. Chinese television broadcast the launch animation accompanied by an instrumental version of the American patriotic song America the Beautiful, a choice of music for which it later offered no explanation.{{cite news|last=Murray |first=Warren|title=Rocket's red glaring error: China sets space launch to America the Beautiful|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/30/china-launch-america-the-beautiful|newspaper=The Guardian |date=30 September 2011|access-date=30 September 2011}}
= Orbital transfers and testing =
On 30 September 2011, Tiangong-1 completed the second of two orbital maneuvers, reaching an apogee altitude of {{cvt|355|km}}.[http://www.people.com.cn/h/2011/1001/c25408-1418236438.html "天宫一号成功完成二次变轨" (in Chinese)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111113130054/http://www.people.com.cn/h/2011/1001/c25408-1418236438.html |date=13 November 2011 }} People's Daily 1 October 2011 Retrieved 21 November 2011 This was the precursor to a week-long program of orbital testing, conducted from the Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center, to prepare the module for future orbital docking operations. On 10 October 2011, Tiangong-1 released its first orbital photo, showing a view of its outer hull and satellite relay antenna.[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90783/7615284.html "Tiangong 1 releases first photo in space"] People's Daily 12 October 2011 Retrieved 18 October 2011
= Autonomous orbital docking =
{{Main|Shenzhou 8}}
The uncrewed Shenzhou 8 mission successfully docked with Tiangong-1 on 2 November 2011 UTC, marking China's first orbital docking.[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15562928 "Chinese spacecraft dock in orbit"] BBC News 2 November 2011 Retrieved 15 June 2013 Shenzhou 8 undocked from Tiangong-1 on 14 November 2011, before successfully completing a second rendezvous and docking, thus testing the reusability of the docking system.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140224170507/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jgkjb2jiGBJzdx7suvSGcMqccNHQ?docId=CNG.87699d35984c3444a0e0ba764eddfb45.2f1 "China completes second space docking"] Agence France Presse via Google 14 November 2011 Retrieved 15 November 2011[http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-11/07/c_131233226.htm "2nd docking of Tiangong-1 and Shenzhou-8 on schedule"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111110071948/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/video/2011-11/07/c_131233226.htm|date=10 November 2011}} Xinhua 7 November 2011 Retrieved 15 June 2013[https://web.archive.org/web/20111117010729/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-11/14/c_131246339.htm "Chinese spacecraft Shenzhou-8 disengages from space lab module Tiangong-1"] Xinhua 14 November 2011 Retrieved 15 June 2013 Shenzhou 8 deorbited on 17 November 2011, and landed intact in Siziwang Banner in Inner Mongolia.[http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/18/shenzhou-8-docking-mission-china_n_1101191.html "Shenzhou 8 Docking Mission Major Step To Space Station, China Says"] HuffPost 18 November 2011 Retrieved 4 November 2013 After the mission, the CNSA reported that Tiangong-1's systems were in optimal condition.[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/China_plans_major_effort_in_pursuing_manned_space_technology_999.html "China plans major effort in pursuing manned space technology"] SpaceDaily 22 November 2011 Retrieved 23 November 2011
= Crewed missions =
{{See also|List of human spaceflights in Tiangong Program}}
== Preparations ==
In December 2011, the Tiangong-1 module began automated internal checks for toxic gas, to ensure that its interior would be safe for astronauts to enter.[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Tiangong_1_orbiter_starts_planned_cabin_checks_against_toxic_gas_999.html "Tiangong-1 orbiter starts planned cabin checks against toxic gas"] SpaceDaily 19 December 2011 In January 2012, reports emerged in British publication Spaceflight alleging that the American Boeing X-37B robotic spaceplane was shadowing Tiangong-1 for surveillance purposes.[https://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/01/06/x_37b_spying_tiangong_1/ "US 'space warplane' may be spying on Chinese spacelab"] The Register 6 January 2012 Retrieved 13 January 2012 However, former United States Air Force orbital analyst Brian Weeden later refuted this claim, emphasizing that the X-37B occupied a 100 degree right ascension offset orbit from Tiangong-1, and would not be able to closely observe the module as they would only pass each other twice an orbit at a closing speed of 7 km/s.[http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/278442/20120109/expert-u-s-secret-space-plane-spying.htm "Expert: U. S. Secret Space Plane Not Likely "Spying" on China Module"] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111080248/http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/278442/20120109/expert-u-s-secret-space-plane-spying.htm|date=11 January 2012}} International Business Times 9 January 2012 Retrieved 13 January 2012
== Shenzhou 9 (Expedition 1) ==
{{Main|Shenzhou 9}}
File:Shenzhou 9 crew.jpg, China's first female astronaut, is shown on the right.]]
In March 2012, it was reported that China had finished the initial crew selection for the Shenzhou 9 mission. Niu Hongguang, the deputy chief commander of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, stated that Shenzhou 9 would dock with Tiangong-1 before August 2012.[http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Shenzhou_9_may_take_female_astronaut_to_space_999.html "Shenzhou-9 may take female astronaut to space"] SpaceDaily 14 March 2012 Retrieved 24 March 2012 The Shenzhou 9 spacecraft was delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center for launch preparations on 9 April 2012,[http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-04/09/content_15008333.htm "Shenzhou-9 spacecraft delivered to launch center"] China Daily 9 April 2012 Retrieved 24 April 2012 while its Long March 2F launch vehicle arrived a month later on 9 May 2012.{{cite web|url=http://www.spaceflightnow.com/news/n1205/14shenzhou9/|title=Launch preps begin for next Chinese human spaceflight|publisher=Spaceflight Now |date=14 May 2012|access-date=24 May 2012}}
Shenzhou 9 launched successfully on 16 June 2012, carrying with it China's first female astronaut, Liu Yang.[https://web.archive.org/web/20120616180440/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/space/9335643/China-sends-its-first-female-astronaut-into-space.html "China sends its first female astronaut into space"] The Daily Telegraph 16 June 2012 Retrieved 4 November 2013{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18455553|title=Chinese large modular space station creas|date=15 June 2012|website=bbc.co.uk|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20120615183254/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-18455553|archive-date=15 June 2012|access-date=4 November 2013}} [https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=2DyJm5Nnyf4 Alt URL] The spacecraft docked with Tiangong-1 on 18 June 2012 at 06:07 UTC (14:07 Beijing time).[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18481806 "Shenzhou-9 docks with Tiangong-1"] BBC 18 June 2012 Retrieved 4 November 2013. After about three hours, when the air pressures inside the two vessels were equalized, mission commander Jing Haipeng entered Tiangong-1.{{cite web|url=http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-06/19/content_15510702.htm|title=China successfully completes space docking|newspaper=China Daily|date=19 June 2012|access-date=4 November 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303191959/http://europe.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-06/19/content_15510702.htm|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=dead}} The first docking was entirely computer-controlled, without input from the three astronauts; a second, crew-guided docking was successfully conducted on 24 June 2012 at 20:42 UTC (12:42 Beijing time).[http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/202936/7854214.html "Video: China's first manual space docking"] People's Daily 24 June 2012 Retrieved 4 November 2013 Shenzhou 9 landed safely in Inner Mongolia on 29 June 2012.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2012/jun/29/china-shenzhou-9-returns-earth|title=China's Shenzhou 9 spacecraft returns to earth|newspaper=The Guardian|date=29 June 2012|access-date=4 November 2013}} In August 2012, Shenzhou 9's crew travelled to Hong Kong to discuss their mission with university students.{{cite web|url=http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2012-08/13/content_15668920.htm|title=Astronauts share feelings with HK students|newspaper=China Daily|date=13 August 2012|access-date=1 September 2012}}
== Shenzhou 10 (Expedition 2) ==
{{Main|Shenzhou 10}}
File:Tiandong-1 orbits in June 2013.jpg
The crewed Shenzhou 10 spacecraft, the final Shenzhou mission to rendezvous with Tiangong-1 before its deorbit, was launched on 11 June 2013.{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20280860|title=China to launch next crewed spaceship in 2013|publisher=BBC News|date=10 November 2012|access-date=4 November 2013}}{{cite web|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Tiangong_1_Parked_And_Waiting_As_Shenzhou_10_Mission_Prep_Continues_999.html|title=Tiangong 1 Parked And Waiting As Shenzhou 10 Mission Prep Continues |newspaper=SpaceDaily|date=5 November 2012|access-date=9 November 2012}} The launch of Shenzhou 10 was originally planned for earlier in the year, but was delayed to allow the mission to incorporate more complex scientific experiments.{{cite web|url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Reshuffle_for_Tiangong_999.html|title=Reshuffle for Tiangong|newspaper=SpaceDaily|date=23 January 2013|access-date=12 February 2013}} The mission's crew included China's second female astronaut, Wang Yaping. Shenzhou 10 docked successfully with Tiangong-1 on 13 June 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22871325|title=Shenzhou-10: Chinese capsule docks with space laboratory|publisher=BBC News|date=13 June 2013|access-date=13 June 2013}}
On 15 June 2013, the Shenzhou 10 crew completed China's first orbital maintenance operation, replacing Tiangong-1's interior cladding.{{cite web |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/2013-06/15/content_16624199.htm|title=Astronauts complete first maintenance on Tiangong-1|newspaper=ChinaDaily|date=15 June 2013|access-date=19 June 2013}} Additional maintenance work was conducted on the space station's seal rings. On 20 June 2013, Wang Yaping delivered a remote video lecture from orbit to students across China, demonstrating physics in microgravity with her colleagues.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-22981839|title=China gives first lecture from space |publisher=BBC News|date=20 June 2013|access-date=21 June 2013}} On 24 June 2013, CPC general secretary Xi Jinping contacted the astronauts via remote video link to congratulate them.{{cite web|url=http://zeenews.india.com/news/space/china-poised-for-bigger-strides-in-space-exploration-xi-jinping_857318.html|title=China poised for bigger strides in space exploration: Xi Jinping|publisher=Zee News|date=24 June 2013|access-date=26 June 2013}} After a series of successful docking tests, Shenzhou 10 undocked and returned safely to Earth on 26 June 2013.{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2013-06/26/c_132488807.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130913165107/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/sci/2013-06/26/c_132488807.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=13 September 2013|title=China's Shenzhou-10 mission successful|agency=Xinhua News Agency|date=26 June 2013|access-date=26 June 2013}} With a duration of 15 days, Shenzhou 10 was China's longest crewed space mission,{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10112668/China-launches-Shenzhou-10-manned-space-mission.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618205621/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/10112668/China-launches-Shenzhou-10-manned-space-mission.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 June 2013|title=China launches Shenzhou-10 manned space mission|publisher=The Telegraph|date=11 June 2013|access-date=11 June 2013}} until Shenzhou 11's 30-day mission to Tiangong-2 in 2016.[http://china.org.cn/china/2016-11/19/content_39742416.htm SCIO briefing on China's Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou 11 manned space mission] China.org.cn 19 November 2016
Post-mission
The Tiangong-1 was launched in September 2011, with an intended service span of two years. After the last crew departed the module in June 2013, it was put into sleep mode. It was intended that it would remain in orbit for some time, allowing China to collect data on the longevity of key components before being commanded to gradually re-enter the atmosphere. The Permanent mission of China to the United Nations (Vienna) informed the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space that communication with Tiangong-1 had ceased functioning on 16 March 2016.{{cite web|url=http://www.unoosa.org/res/oosadoc/data/documents/2017/aac_105/aac_1051150_0_html/AC105_1150E.pdf|title=Note verbale dated 4 May 2017 from the Permanent mission of China to the United Nations (Vienna) addressed to the Secretary-General|date=4 May 2017|publisher=UN Office for Outer Space Affairs}} One week later on 21 March 2016, the China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that they had officially disabled data service and ended the mission. According to the office, the space laboratory was under continued and close monitoring until it finally burned up in the Earth's atmosphere during an uncontrolled re-entry.{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/mil/2016-03/21/c_128818450.htm|title=天宫一号正式终止数据服务 全面完成各项在轨试验任务-新华网 |agency=Xinhua News Agency|language=Chinese|access-date=9 April 2016}}{{cite news|title=China's 1st space lab Tiangong-1 ends data service |url=http://www.spacedaily.com/reports/Chinas_1st_space_lab_Tiangong_1_ends_data_service_999.html|newspaper=SpaceDaily|date=23 March 2016|access-date=29 March 2018}}
= Re-entry =
File:Altitude of Tiangong-1.svg
File:Tiangong_1-finalorbit.png
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{{wikinews|China's Tiangong-1 space station crashes into Pacific Ocean.}}
File:Tiangong-1 Reentry Map.png
The orbit of Tiangong-1 decayed gradually, and the space laboratory was predicted to be destroyed upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere.{{cite news |last=David|first=Leonard|url=http://www.space.com/33140-china-tiangong-1-space-lab-falling-to-earth.html|title=When Will China's 'Heavenly Palace' Space Lab Fall Back to Earth?|publisher=SPACE.com|date=10 June 2016|access-date=15 July 2016}}{{cite news|last=Howell|first=Elizabeth|url=http://www.space.com/27320-tiangong-1.html|title=Tiangong-1: China|publisher=SPACE.com|date=13 July 2016|access-date=15 July 2016}}{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/mar/06/chinas-tiangong-1-space-station-will-crash-to-earth-within-weeks|title=China's Tiangong-1 space station will crash to Earth within weeks|last=Malkin|first=Bonnie|date=6 March 2018|newspaper=The Guardian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180306072749/https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/mar/06/chinas-tiangong-1-space-station-will-crash-to-earth-within-weeks|archive-date=6 March 2018|access-date=6 March 2018}}
At the request of China and the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), the Inter-Agency Space Debris Coordination Committee (IADC), led by the European Space Agency (ESA), conducted an international campaign to monitor the re-entry of Tiangong-1. ESA's Space Debris Office in Darmstadt, Germany hosted and administered the campaign, with participation from other space agencies and organizations including the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), and Roscosmos of Russia.{{cite press release|url=http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Operations/Space_Debris/ESA_joins_reentry_campaign|access-date=15 March 2018|title=ESA joins re-entry campaign|publisher=European Space Agency|date=6 November 2017}} The IADC predicted that Tiangong-1 would break up during re-entry, but that parts of the station would survive and fall to the Earth's surface, potentially falling across an area thousands of kilometres long and tens of kilometres wide. However, because most of the re-entry area was ocean or uninhabited land, the IADC stated that the odds of a person being hit by falling debris to be "10 million times smaller than the yearly chance of being hit by lightning". The IADC's final prediction before re-entry was that Tiangong-1 would re-enter at around 01:00 UTC on 2 April 2018, plus or minus 2 hours, falling somewhere on Earth between 42.8° North and 42.8° South latitudes, with the most likely re-entry sites being at the north and south extremes of that range. This is because an inclined orbit has the smallest north-south speed at the extreme latitudes, and the greatest north-south speed near the equator.
Independently, the non-profit Aerospace Corporation's Center for Orbital and Re-entry Debris Studies (CORDS) predicted that Tiangong-1 would most likely re-enter the atmosphere around 00:30 UTC on 2 April 2018, plus or minus 1.7 hours. CORDS scientists also predicted that it would re-enter somewhere between the 42.7° North and 42.7° South latitudes, a range that covered two-thirds of the Earth's surface, with a high likelihood of an ocean landing of whatever did not burn up during re-entry.{{cite news|last=Moser|first=Dave|title=China's out-of-control space station may crash to Earth in 2 months|publisher=Business Insider|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/when-chinese-tiangong-1-space-station-will-crash-2018-1|date=3 January 2018|access-date=3 January 2018}} They predicted that if any parts of the station survived re-entry, the small amount of debris would impact the ground over an area a few hundred square kilometers in size. The final prediction of likely areas for debris impact covered southern South America, Africa, the Middle East, and central Asia.{{cite news|last1=Grush |first1=Loren|title=China's spiraling space station will plunge to Earth in about a week|url=https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/26/17165164/tiangong-1-chinese-space-station-orbit-decay-april-1|newspaper=The Verge |quote=And once it gets down to plus or minus six hours, you can start ruling out continents.|date=26 March 2018|access-date=1 April 2018}} However, even in those high-probability areas, they still estimated the odds of a specific person being hit by debris to be "about one million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot".{{cite web|title=Tiangong-1 Reentry|url=http://www.aerospace.org/cords/reentry-predictions/tiangong-1-reentry/|work=Center for Orbital and Reentry Debris Studies|publisher=The Aerospace Corporation|access-date=22 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180322053816/http://www.aerospace.org/cords/reentry-predictions/tiangong-1-reentry/|quote=The map below shows the relative probabilities of debris landing within a given region. Yellow indicates locations that have a higher probability while green indicates areas of lower probability. Blue areas have zero probability of debris reentry since Tiangong-1 does not fly over these areas (north of 42.7° N latitude or south of 42.7° S latitude). These zero probability areas constitute about a third of the total Earth's surface area.|date=20 March 2018|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 March 2018}}
Tiangong-1 reentered the Earth's atmosphere at approximately 00:16 UTC on 2 April 2018 over the South Pacific Ocean at {{coord|24.5|S|151.1|W}}. According to Chinese state news agency Xinhua, the station mostly burnt up upon re-entry.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/apr/02/tiangong-1-crash-china-space-station|title=Tiangong-1 Reentry|newspaper=The Guardian|quote=China's Tiangong-1 space station has crashed in the Pacific Ocean, according to the country's space agency. The spacecraft re-entered the earth's atmosphere at 0015 UTC on Monday over the South Pacific and mostly burnt up on re-entry, state news agency Xinhua said.|access-date=22 March 2018}} A fisherman from the nearby island of Maupiti was able to witness the event.{{cite web|title=Le satellite Tiangong-1 s'est écrasé au large de Maupiti|date=April 2018 |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/polynesie/satellite-tiangong-1-s-est-ecrase-au-large-maupiti-574929.html |publisher=Polynésie la 1ère|language=fr-FR|access-date=28 August 2020}} It was the largest spacecraft to re-enter the atmosphere since Fobos-Grunt in January 2012. This was about {{cvt|{{Great circle distance|-24.5|-151.1|-48.877|-123.393|precision=-2}}|km|nmi|-2}} from Point Nemo, a location often used as a spacecraft cemetery to crash defunct satellites.{{cite news|last1=Specktor|first1=Brandon|title=The Chinese Space Station Narrowly Missed Landing in the World's Largest 'Spacecraft Cemetery'|url=https://www.livescience.com/62197-point-nemo-tinagong-1-crash-landing.html|publisher=Live Science|date=2 April 2018|access-date=3 April 2018}} As the spacecraft made an uncontrolled reentry, this was an unintended coincidence.
Program developments
Tiangong-1 was designed as a test bed for key technologies later used on another test station called Tiangong-2, which was launched on 15 September 2016.{{cite web|url=http://spacenews.com/china-prepares-assembly-of-its-space-station-invites-collaboration-through-u-n/|title=China prepares assembly of its space station, invites collaboration through U.N.|last=de Selding|first=Peter B. |publisher=SpaceNews|date=20 June 2016}} Both experimental space stations were short-lived and meant to test technologies and systems for the Tiangong space station, which is planned to be assembled from 2021 to 2022.{{cite web|url=https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2021/03/china-preparing-to-build-tiangong-station-in-2021-complete-by-2022/|title=China preparing to build Tiangong station in 2021, complete by 2022|publisher=NASASpaceFlight.com|first=Rui|last=Barbosa|date=1 March 2021|access-date=2 March 2021}}
The design of Tianzhou, an automated cargo spacecraft intended to resupply the Tiangong space station, is based on Tiangong-1.{{cite news|last1=Clark|first1=Stephen|title=First supply ship for Chinese space station lifts off on test flight|url=https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/04/20/tianzhou-1-launch/|publisher=Spaceflight Now|date=20 April 2017|access-date=29 March 2018}}
See also
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References
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External links
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Category:Chinese space stations
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