| Project 921-2 |
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Project 921-2 is the working name given by the People's Republic Of China in 1992 for plans to create a manned space station. DEVELOPMENT The project remained tentative throughout the 1990's while the PRC concentrated on the more modest goal of simply launching a Manned Flight . In 1999 project 921-2 was finally given official authorization. A first design review was carried out that May and a year later the first model of the planned space station was unveiled at Expo 2000 in Hannover . The model reveals a relatively small station measuring 20 meters and weighing under 40 tonnes though unused docking ports indicate much room for expansion. In 2001 Chinese engineers described a three-step process toward the realization of Project 921-2. First, manned flight itself; this successfully occurred in 2003 . Second, the orbiting of a space laboratory (a scaled back version of the initial model) that would only be manned on a short-term basis and left in an Automated mode between visits. The third phase would involve the launch of a larger space laboratory, which would be permanently manned and be China's first true Space Station . The original target date for the fulfillment of the project was 2010 . As of November 2005 , there are plans to dock the unmanned Shenzhou 8 and Shenzhou 9 mission modules together to form a space lab. The Shenzhou 10 manned mission will dock and enter that unit, but it is unclear whether this is the temporary space lab described as the second-phase of the project. There were also reports that a space station may be ready by 2012 , which could be the second or third-phase. On November 27 , 2005 , the deputy commander of the manned space program announced that China planned to perfect the technology for space walking and docking by 2012 and finish a permanent space station and manned moon mission by 2020 . DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL REACTION The fact that China has successfully launched a man in space under its own auspices and plans to do the same with a space station has generated enormous pride within the country but has caused some consternation elsewhere. China is the most notable absentee from the International Space Station , reflecting both American unease at allowing an Authoritarian country aboard and China's pride in self-sufficiency. This has led to conjecture that China will be a competitor rather than a partner in future international space ventures. However, China has recently reached out to Russia , the ESA , and Canada , to carry out cooperative space initiatives. So it is likely only China and the US will rule out direct cooperation. EXTERNAL LINKS
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