Chinese space station reaches for next stage of construction with robotic arm test
- In 47-minute exercise, 10-metre robotic device grabs onto and moves cargo ship
- The US has voiced its concern about potential for interference with satellites, particularly in the event of a war
The Chinese space station has successfully grabbed and moved a cargo spaceship with its giant robotic arm.
The 47-minute manoeuvre on Thursday morning was the first test for Tiangong’s 10-metre (33-foot) robotic arm, whose technology the United States fears could be used to interfere with its satellites.
The exercise assessed technology used to assemble sections of the station in space, the official website of the China Manned Space Programme said.
It said the test initially measured the feasibility and effectiveness of using the robotic arm to move a section of space station, verify aspects of the technology and inform future space station orbit assembly and construction.
During the test, the robotic arm first held on to the Tianzhou 2 spaceship, which was docked to the Tianhe core module at the centre of the station. Then the Tianzhou 2 was released from its dock and transported by the arm in a circle before being reconnected and docked to the Tianhe, according to the website.
Tiangong’s robotic arm is capable of lifting objects up to 20 tonnes and can move around on the outside of the station, according to China Manned Space Programme. After the core module was launched to orbit in April, Chinese astronauts embarked on spacewalks to carry out upgrades to the arm to ensure it was operational.
The Tianzhou 2, which was launched in May, carried supplies to the station and docked at the core module. It conducted an automatic release and re-dock in September.
The spacecraft weighed 13.5 tonnes at launch, with 6.8 tonnes of supplies such as fuel, food and water. It was also used to store emergency goods.
Smaller versions of Tiangong’s robotic arm have been fitted to China’s “scavenger satellites” to gather and steer space debris to allow it to burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, but the technology has raised concerns in the US for its military potential.
James Dickinson, commander of the US Space Command, told a Congressional hearing last year the technology “could be used in a future system for grappling other satellites”.
Design of robotic arm for China’s Tiangong Space Station revealed
He said that in the event of war, the combatants would spend the opening minutes trying to disable their enemy’s communication tools, such as America’s GPS.
Nasa began equipping its space shuttles with robotic arms as early as the 1990s.
The Tiangong now has only the Tianhe core module operating but it is expected to have two more experimental modules – the Wentian and Mengtian, each weighing 20 tonnes – assembled in orbit this year.
China’s completed space station is designed to serve at least 10 years with Chinese spacecraft being docked and moved with the help of the robotic arm.