Tiangong-3

{{Short description|Cancelled Chinese space station module}}

{{About|the cancelled experimental space station|third station of the Tiangong program|Tiangong space station}}

{{Infobox space station

| station = Tiangong-3
天宫三号

| station_image = Tiangong 3 space laboratory model.jpg

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| crew = 3

| status = Cancelled

| mass = {{convert|22000|kg}}

| length = {{convert|18.1|m|ft|sp=us}}

| diameter = {{convert|4.2|m|ft|sp=us}}

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Tiangong-3 ({{zh|c={{linktext|天|宫|三|号}}|p=Tiāngōng sānhào|l=Heavenly Palace 3}}) was a proposed Chinese space station, part of the Tiangong program. The China National Space Agency (CNSA) was originally expected to launch Tiangong-3 around 2015, following the launch of the Tiangong-2 test laboratory, originally planned for 2013.{{cite news|last=David |first=Leonard|title=China Details Ambitious Space Station Goals|url=http://www.space.com/11048-china-space-station-plans-details.html|access-date=2011-03-09|newspaper=SPACE.com|date=2011-03-11|quote=China is ready to carry out a multiphase construction program that leads to the large space station around 2020. As a prelude to building that facility, China is set to loft the Tiangong-1 module this year as a platform to help master key rendezvous and docking technologies.}} The goals for the Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3 laboratories were merged, and the latter was therefore not ordered.{{cite web |url=http://www.cmse.gov.cn/art/2016/4/28/art_18_27619.html|title=脚踏实地，仰望星空—访中国载人航天工程总设计师周建平|publisher=Chinese Government|access-date=2017-04-22}}{{cite web |url=http://www.china.com.cn/news/2017-11/22/content_41929256.htm|date=2017-11-22|title="天宫二号"总设计师：不再有天宫三号 五年后建成空间站|quote=“天宫二号”后，不再开发“天宫三号”，中国将直接进入空间站时代，空间站预计2022年建成 (After "Tiangong-2", no longer develop "Tiangong-3", China will directly enter the era of space station, the space station is expected to be completed in 2022)}} The first module of the third station of the Tiangong program, Tiangong space station, was eventually launched in 2021.