China says it has successfully launched the first part of a planned new space station it aims to complete by the end of 2022. State media reported the module was carried to space Thursday by a Long March 5B rocket. It was built to house Chinese astronauts during stays of up to six months. The module is called Tianhe, which means “Harmony of the Heavens” in Chinese. It is one of three main parts China plans to use to build its first self-developed, permanent space station. Chinese officials have said 11 space missions will be necessary to complete the space station, which will orbit Earth at an altitude of 340 to 450 kilometers. China’s President Xi Jinping praised the launch as “an important pilot project in the building of a powerful nation in both technology and in space,” state media reported. China aims to become a major space power by 2030. It has been expanding its space program in recent years, with successful crewless missions to the moon and Mars. In December, China landed its third spacecraft on the moon and said the vehicle successfully collected material from the lunar surface. The country also has a spacecraft orbiting Mars that is expected to land on the planet around the middle of next month. Currently, the only other space station in service is the International Space Station (ISS). It is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. China was banned from taking part in ISS operations by the United States.
Title: China Launches Main Part of New Planned Space Station
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='China Launches Main Part of New Planned Space Station' data-article-id='5614'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='14646'>China says it has successfully launched the first part of a planned new space station it aims to complete by the end of 2022.</span> <span data-start-time='14646' data-end-time='24479'>State media reported the module was carried to space Thursday by a Long March 5B rocket. </span> <span data-start-time='24479' data-end-time='32583'>It was built to house Chinese astronauts during stays of up to six months.</span> <span data-start-time='32583' data-end-time='41521'>The module is called Tianhe, which means “Harmony of the Heavens” in Chinese. </span> <span data-start-time='41521' data-end-time='52333'>It is one of three main parts China plans to use to build its first self-developed, permanent space station.</span> <span data-start-time='52333' data-end-time='69792'>Chinese officials have said 11 space missions will be necessary to complete the space station, which will orbit Earth at an altitude of 340 to 450 kilometers.</span> <span data-start-time='69792' data-end-time='87583'>China’s President Xi Jinping praised the launch as “an important pilot project in the building of a powerful nation in both technology and in space,” state media reported.</span> <span data-start-time='87583' data-end-time='94396'>China aims to become a major space power by 2030. </span> <span data-start-time='94396' data-end-time='105625'>It has been expanding its space program in recent years, with successful crewless missions to the moon and Mars.</span> <span data-start-time='105625' data-end-time='118604'>In December, China landed its third spacecraft on the moon and said the vehicle successfully collected material from the lunar surface. </span> <span data-start-time='118604' data-end-time='129938'>The country also has a spacecraft orbiting Mars that is expected to land on the planet around the middle of next month.</span> <span data-start-time='129938' data-end-time='137146'>Currently, the only other space station in service is the International Space Station (ISS). </span> <span data-start-time='137146' data-end-time='145292'>It is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and Canada. </span> <span data-start-time='145292' data-end-time='153313'>China was banned from taking part in ISS operations by the United States.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17344 data-hint-location='52333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/what_is_a_mission.wav'>What is a mission?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='An important project or trip'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/an_important_project_or_trip.wav'><span>An important project or trip</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/a_type_of_spacecraft.wav'><span>A type of spacecraft</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/the_act_of_listening.wav'><span>The act of listening</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/a_collection_of_data.wav'><span>A collection of data</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17345 data-hint-location='94396' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/what_planet_has_china_had_successful_manless_missions_to.wav'>What planet has China had successful manless missions to?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Mars'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/mars.wav'><span>Mars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/venus.wav'><span>Venus</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/jupiter.wav'><span>Jupiter</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/krypton.wav'><span>Krypton</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17346 data-hint-location='137146' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/it_is_backed_by_the_united_states_russia_europe_japan_and__blank__.wav'>It is backed by the United States, Russia, Europe, Japan and <span class='blank'>Canada</span>. </div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Canada'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/new_jersey.wav'><span>New Jersey</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/canada.wav'><span>Canada</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/brazil.wav'><span>Brazil</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/india.wav'><span>India</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5050/A.wav
Preview
