Airshow China exhibits life-size Tiangong space station replica

BEIJING -- Visitors at the Airshow China 2022 are able to have immersive experiences in the country's "space home," as a life-size replica of the orbiting Tiangong space station is on display.

The layout of the T-shape structure at the show, with a core module at the center and a lab capsule on each side, is identical to what it looks like in space. Besides traveling through the interior cabins, viewers can also take a closer look at the equipment outside the cabin, such as solar wings, relay antennas, and robotic arms.

The simulated Tianhe core module has been one of the most eye-catching exhibits due to its large size. According to Wang Xin, a deputy commander responsible for the space station system at the China Academy of Space Technology, the space module is longer than a five-story building and wider than a train or subway car.

"It is larger and heavier than any module on the International Space Station," Wang said at the ongoing 14th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in the port city of Zhuhai, Guangdong province.

Facilities, including a water dispenser, refrigerators, and treadmills that taikonauts use in orbit, are also displayed for public view.

In-orbit construction work on Tiangong is proceeding steadily, and China aims to finish building it by the end of this year, according to the China Manned Space Agency.