China's Tiangong Space Station Captured in Full Glory, Plans for Expansion Revealed

The first complete images of the Tiangong Space Station were captured by the departing Shenzhou 16 crew, as China unveils plans to expand the station with three additional modules.

• China's Shenzhou 16 mission crew captured the first complete images of the Tiangong Space Station as they departed for Earth.
• The Tiangong Space Station is fully assembled with three main modules and has been permanently staffed by rotating three-person crews since June 2022.
• The Tiangong Space Station, which weighs 77 tons and is about 20% as large as the International Space Station, has hosted important science experiments and aims to maintain this for at least a decade.
• China's space agency revealed plans to expand the space station with an extra three modules, bringing its total unit count up to six.
• The expanded space station is expected to double its capabilities in low-Earth orbit and continue its development phase for at least 10 years.

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