Tiangong2

Tiangong-2 was China's second space laboratory. Launched on September 15, 2016, from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, it was an advanced module designed to conduct scientific experiments in orbit and test key technologies for China's future space station. Tiangong-2 was a significant step in China's ambitious space program, building upon the capabilities of its predecessor, Tiangong-1.

The laboratory was designed for a two-year mission and was visited by two crewed missions. Shenzhou-11, carrying astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong, docked with Tiangong-2 in October 2016 and spent 30 days aboard, setting a new record for Chinese astronauts in space at the time. A second, uncrewed cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-2, was intended to resupply Tiangong-2, though its launch was delayed.

Tiangong-2 hosted a variety of experiments, including studies on the growth of plants and fruit flies in microgravity, atomic clocks, and measurements of dark matter. The laboratory also demonstrated crucial rendezvous and docking technologies, essential for the construction of China's larger, modular Tiangong Space Station. After completing its mission objectives, Tiangong-2 was deorbited and burned up in Earth's atmosphere on July 19, 2019. Its decommissioning paved the way for the subsequent construction of the larger Tiangong Space Station.