China rolled out its Long March-2F Y12 rocket to its launch pad at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on Wednesday in preparation of sending astronauts to the nations' new orbiting modular space station. The Tianhe builds on experience China gained from operating two experimental space stations earlier in its increasingly ambitious space program. China does not participate in NASA's International Space Station (ISS), largely due to US concerns over the Chinese program's secrecy and its military connections, which has led the country to construct its own space station. The modular currently in orbit is one of three main components of the complete space station. The Tiangong Space Station is expected to have a mass between 180,000 and 220,000 pounds – roughly one-fifth the mass of the ISS, which is 925,335 pounds.

Source: Daily Mail June 10, 2021 15:31 UTC