Previous missions to the space station have taken about 13 hours from liftoff to docking. No other future additions to the space station have been publicly announced. The permanent Chinese station weighs about 66 tons — a fraction of the International Space Station, which launched its first module in 1998 and weighs around 465 tons. With a lifespan of 10 to 15 years, Tiangong could one day find itself the only space station still running if the International Space Station adheres to its 30-year operating plan. The U.S. excluded China from the International Space Station because of its program’s military ties.

Source: MetroXpress November 28, 2022 15:47 UTC