The launch of the first module for Harmony of the Heavens was a complete success.
Wednesday's launch will be followed by a fast-paced series of cargo and crew launches aimed at completing the construction of the space station by the end of 2022.
The space-based construction effort requires 10 additional launches from 2021 through 2022: two more module launches, four crewed missions and four cargo vessel flights, as reported by China Global Television Network (CGTN).
Three types of Long March carrier rockets will jointly launch the remaining 10 missions.
When completed, China's orbiting outpost will form a T-shape with Tianhe at the center and two other modules, Wentian and Mengtian, on each side, according to Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China's crewed space program.
Bai Linhou, deputy chief designer of the space station at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST), said that the station could support at most six astronauts at the same time. Regular launches of crewed and cargo spaceships will secure a long-term human presence in Earth orbit to carry out research and services, Chinese officials have said.
