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CHINA SPACE STATION NEWS

Commercial space stations the next big thing in space

March 09, 2026 2:55 pm

A Chinese space station, Tiangong, has been operational since 2022, but unlike the ISS, which has hosted astronauts from over 25 countries, it has been used only by Chinese astronauts.

The Shenzhou-20 crew's return “marked the first successful implementation of an alternative return procedure in the country's space station program history,” according to state news agency Xinhua. (Image: Reuters)

China abandons Shenzhou-20 spacecraft in orbit after debris damage, crew return on Shenzhou-21: Here’s what happened

November 23, 2025 9:31 am

This is the first time a Shenzhou ship has been abandoned in orbit while its crew headed back to Earth.

China unveils first AI chatbot aboard space station to support taikonauts in missions

August 24, 2025 4:36 pm

Wukong AI has been designed to aid taikonauts aboard the Tiangong space station in navigation and tactical planning, as per reports.

Rendering of Tiangong, the Chinese space station

China to double the size of its space station, offering alternative to ISS

October 06, 2023 3:53 pm

China is set to double the size of its Tiangong space station in the coming years by adding three more modules to its existing three.

China's Shenzhou-16 spacecraft launched: What is the new mission about

May 30, 2023 5:39 pm

The astronauts aboard Shenzhou-16 spacecraft are on their way to China's Tiangong space station and will stay there for the next five months.

China space agency, tiangong space station

China says will train foreign astronauts for space station

March 01, 2023 2:26 pm

The Chinese space program is taking on a new diplomatic and political role, much in the way the United States and former Soviet Union leveraged theirs.

China’s ‘heavenly palace’ space station releases small satellite into orbit

December 25, 2022 3:27 pm

China deployed the 12-kilogram Macao Student Science Satellite 1 from its recently completed Tiangong ("Heavenly Palace") Station.

Artemis 1 to James Webb Space telescope pics: The biggest moments in space exploration in 2022

December 21, 2022 2:21 pm

From the Artemis 1 mission that cleared the path for humanity's return to the Moon to China's new space station that heralds in a new space race, here are the five moments that defined our collective space exploration ambitions.

5 facts about China’s new ‘Heavenly Palace’ space station

November 30, 2022 7:04 pm

Here are 5 things that you need to know about new China's Tiangong space station, which derives its name from the Chinese word for "“heavenly palace."