Tiangong-3

This article is about the cancelled experimental space station. For third station of the Tiangong program, see Tiangong space station.

Tiangong-3 (Chinese: 天宫三号; pinyin: Tiāngōng sānhào; lit. '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.^[2] The goals for the Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3 laboratories were merged, and the latter was therefore not ordered.^[3][1] The first module of the third station of the Tiangong program, Tiangong space station, was eventually launched in 2021.

Tiangong-3
天宫三号

Station statistics
Crew	3
Mission status	Cancelled[1]
Mass	22,000 kilograms (49,000 lb)
Length	18.1 meters (59 ft)
Diameter	4.2 meters (14 ft)

Development

In 2008, the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) published a brief description of Tiangong-2 and Tiangong-3, indicating that several crewed spaceships would be launched in the late 2010s to dock with Tiangong-3.^[4] The first Tiangong module, Tiangong-1, was launched in September 2011 and docked with the uncrewed Shenzhou 8 spacecraft in November 2011, marking China's first orbital docking.^[5]

Specifications

Tiangong-3 was expected to provide:

• Unaided 40-day habitability for three astronauts.^[2]
• Testing for regenerative life-support technology, and verification of methods of orbital replenishment of propellant and air.^[2]
• A multi-docking berthing mechanism,^{[6][clarification needed]} allowing up to two spacecraft to dock with it simultaneously.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• Spaceflight portal
• China portal

• Chinese Lunar Exploration Program
• Chinese space program
• International Space Station