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CHINA’S SPACE STATION IS GETTING A MINI-MOON: China’s Tiangong space station is currently making a series of evening flybys over the USA. First-time observers are almost always surprised by how bright it is. Only a handful of stars outshine it.

Next year, it might resemble a double star.

The Tiangong space station flying over Ballico, California. Credit: Richard Sears

The China Manned Space Agency has announced plans to launch a 2-meter space telescope named “Xuntian” in 2027 that will circle Earth alongside the station–a 15-ton ‘mini-Moon’ that can easily dock with Tiangong whenever it needs repairs or fuel. Hubble, which has been the target of complicated repair missions five times, never had this advantage.

Xuntian means “patrolling the heavens.” The telescope will be smaller than Hubble, but its field of view is 300 times wider. Over a 10-year mission, it will map about 40% of the sky at Hubble-class resolution.

China also plans to expand the station with new modules and solar panels, turning the “T” into a “double-T” and doubling its mass to 180 tons. A spacewalk by two taikonauts on Aug. 28th did significant prep work: Repairs to solar panels and new debris shields stabilized the power grid for additional construction. When the ISS is deorbited in 2030-31, Tiangong will be the largest permanent outpost in orbit.

Tiangong is easy to see if you know when to look. Sign up for Backyard Astronomy Alerts to receive realtime text messages when the Chinese space station is flying overhead.