China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released the Blue Book of China Aerospace Science and Technology Activities on February 9, giving a road map for the development of China’s Tiangong space station.
China plans to finish Tiangong’s in-orbit assembly in 2022 through six launch missions that will send up six spacecraft, including two cargo spacecraft, two manned spaceships and two lab modules which will be connected to the Tianhe core module.
In 2021, China sent two crews to the Tianhe, with the second scheduled to return to Earth in April. Once construction is finished, China plans to send two crews to work in shifts, the first time there will be two crews in orbit together.
China launched 55 rockets in 2021, the most in the world, with 115 space vehicles sent into space, 85.5 percent more than that in 2020. In 2022, China plans to maintain frequent launches and advance high rocket technologies.