China has sent the first part of its space station into space

China will become the first country to have its own space station orbiting the Earth.

Currently only one space station is in orbit and that is a joint venture between the US, Canada, Russia, Japan and Europe. It is known as the International Space Station (ISS) and will be retired after 2024.

China has been excluded from the ISS program by a US decision. That is why the country decided to create its own station.

The first part of the station is called Tiahne and will be able to provide energy, impetus and space for astronauts.

It was launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Center and carried by the Long March-5B rocket. The goal is to be operational in 2022.

China has very ambitious plans for space, although it has been slow to implement them. Only in 2003 it became the third country to send a man into space, after the Soviet Union and the United States.

To achieve this, the country has previously sent two test stations into orbit. Tiangong-1 and 2.

The station will be on orbit at an altitude of 340 to 450 km and will operate for at least 10 years.

[Source: http://www.bbc.com]