November 1, 2022

The Mengtian lab module - the third and final part of the three-module China Space Station's basic structure - made a rendezvous and docked with the Tianhe space station core module at 4:27 am on Tuesday, about 13 hours after being launched, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The new space lab module docked with the Tianhe at the core module's forward docking port in a steady and highly precise fashion. Next, the Mengtian module will execute a transposition in orbit, and join with earlier modules - the Tianhe core module and Wentian lab module - to complete the T-shape structure for the China Space Station, read a statement the CMSA provided to the Global Times on Tuesday.

"Only when the three modules complete their assembly and form the T-shape structure in orbit, can we declare that we have achieved all preset goals. Only when they complete the T-shape basic structure, can the power supply, information and thermal control systems deliver their best performances and support relatively larger experiments," Bai Linhou, deputy chief designer from the space station system at the China Academy of Spacecraft Technology (CAST), told the Global Times, explaining why the feat was of great significance in the overall building of the China Space Station.

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202211/1278482.shtml