China's Tiangong-1 space lab

China's Tiangong-1 space lab was launched in the Gobi desert, on the 29 September 2011. The rocket's ascent took the lab out over the Pacific, and on a path to an orbit some 350km above the Earth. Tiangong translates from Chines as "heavenly palace". China is investing billions of dollars in its space programme. It has a strong space science effort under way, with two orbiting satellites having already been launched to the Moon. A third mission is expected to put a rover on the lunar surface. The Asian country is also deploying its own satellite-navigation system known as BeiDou, or Compass. Bigger rockets are coming, too. The Long March 5 will be capable of putting more than 20 tonnes in a low-Earth orbit. This lifting muscle, again, will be necessary for the construction of a space station.

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