China’s space station recently acquired a new module with two pairs of massive solar “wings” that can rotate as the outpost orbits Earth.
New video From China’s human spaceflight agency, CMSA, large solar arrays orbiting around tiangong space station Our blue and white planet also passes below.
Arrays are part of the Wentian module of the experiment, which was launched in july. The angle of the panels can also be seen to change to face the sun like tianjunThe g space station continues along its orbit.
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The two Wentian solar arrays are approximately 98 feet (30 meters) long. Together, their wingspan is more than 180 feet (55 meters). Each solar panel measures approximately 1,184 square feet (110 square metres).
China plans to launch a third and final unit to Tiangong in October. This experiment module, called the Mengtian, will carry a pair of large solar arrays similar to the one on Wentian.
three Shenzhou 14 The mission’s astronauts – who are currently aboard Tiangong and preparing for the first extravehicular activity, or spacewalk, from Wentian – will receive the unit.
Solar panels are designed to power the Tiangong space station, which China plans to keep permanently inhabited by rotating crews of three astronauts for more than a decade.
Meanwhile, bigger and bigger International Space Station she has solar arrays With a wingspan of 240 feet (73 m) to power its activities in orbit.
When completed, Tiangong will be about 20% of the mass of the International Space Station, which has a mass of about 460 tons.
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