China asks people to suggest names for space station
April 26th, 2011 - 12:37 pm ICT by IANSBeijing, April 26 (IANS) China has asked its people to “get involved” in the country’s space programme by suggesting names for a 60-tonne space station that Beijing plans to launch by 2020.
A cargo spaceship will also be developed to transport supplies, China Daily reported, citing the China Manned Space Engineering Office.
The space station will be made of a core module and two other modules where experiments will be conducted.
The 18-metre-long core module, weighing 20 to 22 tonnes, will be launched first. The two laboratory modules will then blast off to dock with the core module. Each laboratory module will be around 14 metres long.
The cargo spaceship, with a maximum diameter of 3.35 metres and weighing less than 13 tonnes will transport supplies and lab facilities to the space station.
The public is being asked to submit suggestions for names and symbols to adorn the space station.
“Considering past achievements and a bright future, we feel that the manned space programme should have a more vivid symbol and that the future space station should carry a resounding and encouraging name,” said Wang Wenbao, director of the space engineering office.
China previously named the space lab “Tiangong”, meaning heavenly palace, and the spacecraft to transport astronauts as “Shenzhou”, meaning divine vessel.
The moon probes were named after a mythical moon goddess “Chang’e”.
But the names were selected without any inputs from the people.
“We now feel that the public should be involved as this major project will enhance national prestige and strengthen the national sense of cohesion and pride,” Wang said.
China is now in its second phase of its manned space programme.
A space module Tiangong-1 and the unmanned Shenzhou VIII spacecraft will be launched in the latter half of this year in the country’s first docking mission. Shenzhou IX and Shenzhou X will be launched next year to dock with Tiangong-1.
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Tags: astronauts, bright future, cargo spaceship, china daily, china manned space, cohesion, core module, divine vessel, engineering office, future space, laboratory module, laboratory modules, maximum diameter, moon goddess, national prestige, national sense, second phase, space engineering, space lab, space station