![international space station interior international space station interior](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/74/ca/ca/74cacaa67a666c2ca7b4eb2d059f8e14--nasa-images-about-space.jpg)
These were replaced from 2017 to 2021 with more effective lithium-ion ones. Up until 2017, the ISS relied on nickel-hydrogen batteries. The batteries are recharged when sunlight is present. These account for 35 minutes of a 90-minute orbit. However, since the station is not always in direct sunlight, it also relies on lithium-ion batteries to see it through dark periods. The main one is that Tiangong uses solar arrays whereas the ISS uses "wings." These solar array wings –often abbreviated SAW – consist of two retractable "blankets" of solar cells and are the largest ever deployed in space.Įach wing weighs more than 2,400 pounds, can reach 35 metres (115 ft) in length, and 12 metres (39 ft) in width when extended. Altogether, the four sets of arrays can generate 84 to 120 kilowatts of electricity – enough to provide power to more than 40 homes. The station also stores energy for the period when the orbiting station is no longer exposed to the sun.Īt first, these two methods might sound very similar, but they do have important differences. These make use of use gallium arsenide photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity. Meanwhile, Tiangong uses two steerable solar power arrays located on each module. To deal with this, the ISS uses radiators – shaded from sunlight and aligned toward the cold void of deep space – to dissipate heat away from the spacecraft. Power Supplyīoth the ISS and Tiangong use solar power to sustain themselves. The ISS's electrical system uses photovoltaics, where solar cells directly convert sunlight to electricity. Large numbers of cells are assembled in arrays to produce high power levels, but this process sometimes builds up excess heat that can damage spacecraft equipment. Coincidentally this is around the size of the decommissioned Russian Mir space station. When fully loaded, the Tiangong Space Station could have a mass of around 100 metric tons (220,500 lb), roughly one-fifth the mass of the ISS. So basically, the two stations do not differ much on this criteria. How high in the sky is each space station? The ISS roams at an altitude of around 400 km (258 mi), while Tinagong will orbit between 340 and 450 km (210 and 280 mi) above the surface.
![international space station interior international space station interior](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/9c/6f/ea/9c6fea625fea00682b6cfadd4cef8140.jpg)
So, how will the new station compare to the ISS? Altitude