How important is the new Chinese space station?
Three Chinese astronauts recently arrived at the countrys new space station, another step forward for growing space power. Here is an overview of some of the main purposes of space stations. The three-member crew will stay for three months in the stations main living space, known as the module. The module is called Tianhe, which means Harmony of Heaven in Chinese. Astronauts will perform science experiments and perform maintenance. They also plan to complete spacewalks and prepare the station to receive two more modules next year. While China admits to being a late-comer to the space station game, it says its new station is modern and includes the latest space technology. Tianhe could even survive the International Space Station (ISS), which is approaching the end of its operational life. The recent launch brought Chinas space program back crewed after a five-year hiatus. China has sent 14 astronauts into space since its first launch in 2003. It is the third country after the former Soviet Union and the United States to do so. As its economy grew in the 1990s, China drew up a space exploration plan. Since then, he has strived to execute this plan with care and fairness. China has been banned from joining the ISS. This mainly concerned US objections to the secretive nature of Chinese programs and close military ties. Its likely, however, that China would have built its own station anyway due to its goal of becoming a great space power. Ji Qiming is the deputy director of the Chinese Manned Space Agency. He recently told reporters that building and operating the space station will raise the level of Chinese technology. He also said he accumulate experience for everyone. The space program is part of a global drive to help China take on even bigger projects. China also wants to expand its cooperation with Russia and other countries, mainly European, as well as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Politics and security  Chinas space program has been a big part of its Pride. It represents the countrys rise from a poor nation to become the worlds second-largest economy over the past 40 years. This has helped the government strengthen its support for the ruling Communist Party in the country. Celebrations authoritarian the rule and severe limits on political activity have been accepted by most Chinese citizens as long as the economy is growing. Chinese President and Party Leader Xi Jinping has joined in the latest advances in space. In his recent comments, Ji gave credit to Xi for defining Chinas rise in space as a goal for the country. As China continues to develop its space program, it is also rapidly modernizing its military. This has raised concerns among some of its neighbors, as well as the United States and its NATO allies. China has said it supports the peaceful development of outer space. But in 2007, some countries expressed concern when the country sent a missile into space to destroy an inactive weather satellite. The event created a field of debris that put other space objects at risk. In the bite of Grgoire. Sam McNeil reported this story for The Associated Press. Gregory Stachel adapted it for VOA Learning English. Bryan Lynn was the editor. __________________________________________________  Words in this story  maintenance nm work that is done to keep something in good repair  accumulate v. collect or acquire (something) as time goes on  Pride nm a feeling that you respect yourself and deserve to be respected by others  authoritarian adj. expect or require people to obey rules or laws: do not allow personal freedom  debris nm broken pieces of something