Tiangong Space Station is a permanently crewed space station constructed by China.

Operated by China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), it orbits in low Earth orbit (LEO).

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Primary mission: To facilitate space-based experiments and promote scientific and technological innovation.

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A crucial element of China's "Third Step" in the China Manned Space Program, it is the nation's first long-term space station.

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The station has a pressurized volume of 340 m3, making it approximately one-third the size of the International Space Station (ISS).

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Unlike the ISS, it exclusively operates in the Chinese language, signifying China's independent space program.

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China built its own space station because it was excluded from the ISS program, mainly due to U.S. concerns about political ties with the Chinese Communist Party.

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The Wolf Amendment of 2011 prohibited NASA from cooperating with the Chinese space agency without prior authorization.

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This exclusion has hindered China from becoming an ISS partner and prevented its astronauts from accessing the station.

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