China says it plans to finish space station by end of year, make more than 40 launches
China will complete its orbital space station by the end of 2022 and will launch up to 40 space flights this year in a sign of the nation's ongoing effort to lead exploration of the cosmos.
The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) announced the anticipated completion of its space station and more crewed space missions and cargo flights this year, as well as the launch of the Space Launch System, a 332-foot rocket designed to reach the moon, according to The Associated Press, citing Chinese state-run news media.
The Tiangong space station, first launched last April, is China's rival to the International Space Station (ISS), which the U.S. had locked its adversary out of. Its completion this year will mark a major milestone for China's military-run space programs.
The Chinese space station will weigh about 66 tons after it's fully built out, significantly lighter than the ISS at 455 tons.
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