China plans to add three modules to its Tiangong space station, doubling its size, as Nasa prepares to retire the International Space Station in early 2031. State broadcaster CCTV reports that Tiangong will first receive a fourth multifunctional module attached to the Tianhe core, forming a cross-shaped configuration. The expansion will create a six-module structure with a total mass of about 180 tonnes, though no timeline has been released.
Plans are under way to add three more modules to China's Tiangong space station, according to the South China Morning Post. Currently T-shaped, Tiangong will first be fitted with a fourth module—a multifunctional extension to the Tianhe core—turning it into a cross-shaped configuration, state broadcaster CCTV reports. The new module will have multiple docking ports, including for a pair of future laboratory units, paving the way for a six-module structure with a total mass of about 180 tonnes.
Meanwhile, Nasa plans to retire the International Space Station (ISS) in early 2031. Led by Nasa with contributions from 15 countries, the ISS is the biggest structure in space and has served as a laboratory for more than 3,000 experiments. Nasa will use a dedicated deorbit vehicle being developed by SpaceX to guide it into a controlled re-entry over the South Pacific.
No timeline for the Tiangong expansion has been released. The plans coincide with the ISS nearing the end of its operational life.
