The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) announced on Tuesday that it will expand the Tiangong space station with a new module and also launch a new manned mission tomorrow, Thursday. Shenzhou-17.

CMSA confirmed plans to launch an expansion module for its space station.which currently resembles the letter “T” and with the addition of the new cabin will be shaped like a “cross”, the official agency said on Wednesday. Xinhua.

According to CMSA, this expansion module is intended to improve and expand the capabilities of Tiangong, or “Heavenly Palace”, as it will not only provide additional space for scientific experiments, but also will also offer equipment for extravehicular experiments in a variety of areas.

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“This will allow greater flexibility and the ability to meet new needs in space science research and applications,” said Lin Siqiang, deputy director of CMSA.

In addition, it was confirmed that the launch of the Shenzhou-17 manned space mission It is scheduled for this Thursday. at 11:14 local time.

This will be the 30th flight of China’s manned space program and the 12th manned flight overall.

The spacecraft will carry three “taikonauts”. (as the Chinese astronauts are known): Tang Hongbo, Tang Shengjie and Jiang Xinlin, who will remain in Tiangong orbit for approximately six months.

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Tiangong, which will work for about ten years, is likely to From 2024 it will become the only space station in the world. if the International Space Station, an initiative led by the United States and which China is denied access to because of its space program’s military ties, leaves this year as planned.

China has invested heavily in its space program and managed to land the Chang’e 4 probe on the far side of the Moon – the first time this had been achieved – and reach Mars for the first time, becoming the third country – after the United States and the former Soviet Union – to “land”. (EFE)