Country's space project sets sail for the sea of stars

The Mengtian lab module, launched on Monday afternoon from Wenchang, Hainan province, successfully docked with the Tianhe core module of China's first space station Tiangong on the early morning of Tuesday, the China Manned Space Agency announced.

Mengtian is the second lab module for the space station. It will be used for in-orbit experiments dedicated to physics and material sciences, as well as micro-gravity experiments. The first lab module, Wentian, that hooked up with Tianhe previously is to be used for biological and space life science projects.

With the two lab modules now docked with the core module, the T-shaped structure of the space station has taken shape, and the space station has entered its final construction stage as planned.

Behind this smooth progress is the dedication and hard work of scientists and engineers and all those involved in making the space station a reality. The high success rate of China's space projects originate from the scientific spirit and professionalism of its space teams.

The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, in the part reviewing the country's progress in science and technology, notes some of the achievements that China has made in its manned space program over the past decade, reflecting the great significance the Party attaches to the country's space endeavors.

Even at the most difficult time, the nation has never abandoned its ambition of acquiring advanced space capabilities and becoming a pioneer in the exploration of space, so as to help expand our knowledge of the universe.

The nation's pride in its space achievements is also an expression of gratitude for all those who have made these achievements possible.

The insistence on the country's space missions being well-prepared, well-organized and well-implemented has been the foundation on which China's aerospace industry has continually reached new heights.

But while hailing the latest progress in manned space projects, the nation should also be aware that there are many key core technologies that China has not yet mastered.

Policymakers must identify the areas where the country needs to make breakthroughs, and optimize the allocation of research funds so that the limited resources can be concentrated to yield fruitful results at an early date.