The International Space Station
What's the News: On Monday, China unveiled its plan
to build a manned space station in the next decade. This announcement comes from a space program whose development has been, well, skyrocketing; China launched its first astronaut into Earth orbit
in 2003 and completed its first spacewalk
in 2008. If things go as planned, the station would be the third ever multi-module space station, after Russia's Mir and the International Space Station. What's the Plan:
The space station is currently dubbed Tiangong, meaning "heavenly palace," but that moniker may not be permanent; China's space agency is taking suggestions for new names via email.
Designed for a three-person crew, the space station will consist of one core module and two lab units for conducting experiments in astronomy, biology (particularly as it pertains to space radiation), and microgravity.
Weighing in at 60 tons, Tiangong is significantly smaller than ...
