China's plans to build its own space station made great strides on Thursday.

After the first module of the “Heavenly Palace” was brought into orbit in April, three Chinese astronauts have now moved into the unfinished station for the first time.

Your space probe was launched that morning with the aid of a launcher from the Jiuquan satellite center in the Gobi desert.

The astronauts are to remain in space for three months to test the technical equipment on board and to expand the fuselage module that China has dubbed “Harmony of Heaven” (Tianhe).

To do this, they should also undertake “space walks” in order to carry out installation work on the outer wall of the module.

Friederike Böge

Political correspondent for China, North Korea and Mongolia.

  • Follow I follow

    The date of June 17 for the mission to begin had been chosen carefully. On this day, 54 years ago, China had tested a hydrogen bomb for the first time, which the People's Daily proudly recalled on Thursday. This set the tone for reporting in one's own country. The “Heavenly Palace” is a national prestige project that is just as much a part of Xi Jinping's political vision of the Chinese dream as the New Silk Road and a union with Taiwan.

    The mission's commander, astronaut Nie Haisheng, presented himself as a loyal party soldier before the start.

    The space program "contributed a heroic chapter to the history of the 100-year-long struggle of the Communist Party," Nie said at a press conference.

    Like almost all Chinese astronauts, he is a former Air Force fighter pilot.

    With a total of three space flights, the 56-year-old Nie is one of the most experienced astronauts in the country.

    China did not move into the ranks of countries that operate manned spaceflight until 2003, and thus late.

    Partner and service provider for other countries

    In the reporting of the Chinese foreign media, it was not national pride but another aspect that was in the foreground: China presented itself as a partner and service provider for other countries in space. "After our space station is completed in the near future, we will see Chinese and foreign astronauts fly and work together," said Deputy Director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency, Ji Qiming. For several years now, three astronauts from the European space agency ESA have been preparing for such a flight to the Chinese space station. However, the conditions for this have yet to be negotiated.

    Foreign instruments for scientific experiments are also to be installed on board the space station, which is internationally known as the China Space Station (CSS). China also says it wants to open a gateway to space for developing countries and help them train astronauts. As part of an agreement with the United Nations, appropriate applications can be submitted since 2018. However, Beijing is still keeping a low profile on the details of potential collaborations. For the time being, the emphasis on one's own openness serves primarily to rebut warnings from the United States. Washington regards Beijing's space ambitions as expansive great power striving. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has described China as "the greatest threat" in the race for supremacy in space.In this context, the Chinese government always points out that it has tried in vain for years to participate in the International Space Station (ISS). But it was blocked by the American Congress.

    Two more modules are to be added

    So now China is building its own space station, which should go into service at the end of 2022. The manned mission, which will run until September, is the third of eleven planned steps towards completion. In addition to the fuselage module, which serves as living space, two further modules are to be added to accommodate research laboratories. The Chinese space station will be significantly smaller than the ISS jointly operated by America, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. China's ambitions are also driven by the fact that the future of the ISS is currently in question because of tensions between Russia and America. The previous cooperation agreement will expire in 2024 if it is not extended. China could thus at least temporarily become the only provider and alternative partner in space, for example for the Europeans.

    In any case, China is not afraid of a comparison with the three times larger ISS. A commentator on the popular Guancha website wrote that the arrival of the three Chinese astronauts in the Tianhe module was no less significant than the first manned mission to the ISS 20 years ago. Since then, space has been ruled by America and Russia, but that is currently changing. The fact that Russia and China want to work together in space in the future could also contribute to this. Among other things, they are planning to build a joint research station on the moon by the end of 2035. A first preparatory mission is already planned for this year, as both countries announced on Thursday, probably not by chance.