A press conference scheduled for June 12 will reveal the experiments from United Nations member states that will be conducted aboard the China Space Station (CSS).
In May 2018, the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), in cooperation with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) invited member states to submit proposals for scientific experiments to be conducted aboard the CSS. According to a UNOOSA statement, the process was met with “widespread interest and positive results.”
The announcement of the experiments that have been selected will be announced at a press conference hosted at the Vienna International Centre in Vienna, Austria on June 12.
The first module of the CSS, the Tianhe module was completed in 2017 and has since been undergoing testing and integration. The 20-ton core module features control and living compartments and the main docking hub. The module is expected to be launched in the second half of this year.
Once operational, the CSS will host 3-person crews on shifts of three to six months. The station is expected to remain operational for a decade or more.
