China launches second space station module | Catching up with U.S. & Russia

China launched the second of three modules needed to complete its new space station. Lab module launched on the back of China's most powerful rocket, Long March 5B. The 'Wentian' uncrewed craft separated from the rocket about 10 minutes post-launch. Beijing launched the central module of its space station Tiangong in April 2021. The new module has three sleeping areas and space for scientific experiments. The lab module will dock with the existing module in space, a challenging operation. 'Wentian' will also serve as backup to control the space station in case of a failure. Ambitious space programme - The final module is scheduled to dock in October. China's Tiangong space station is expected to be fully operational by the year-end.