China's Tiangong space station has been expanded with a new module, including a new robotic arm.
The space station is continually expanding as it is still under construction following its launch in April 2021, with the new Wentian module launching on July 24th, 2022, to join the assembly. The new module brings the station's total module count to two. It includes additional astronaut sleeping quarters, as well as a robotic arm on its exterior that spans about six meters (19.6 feet).
The arm completed an array of tests after the module docked with the space station on July 25th. These included inspecting itself, deploying single joints, and confirming the arm's crawling ability. The distal end of the arm can dock with adapters across the surface of the space station, after which its base can detach, allowing it to "walk" around on the surface of the space station. The Wentian module's arm can work independently or combine with the existing 10-meter (33 feet) long robotic arm that launched with Tiangong's core module, Tianhe.
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