Tsamouris, the Fastener Specialists©
In the summer of 2021, China’s ambitious Tiangong space station project was well underway, with the core
module, Tianhe, already in orbit and astronauts busy configuring the station for future crews. The project,
which had been in planning since the late 1990s, is a testament to China’s growing space capabilities and its
commitment to long-term human presence in Earth’s orbit.
The construction of the Tiangong space station was a complex undertaking, requiring precision — the
astronauts had over 1,000 screws to remove in the core module alone, highlighting the complexity of the
assembly process.
Tianhe, which weighs 22.5 tons, was launched on a Long March-5B rocket and served as the foundation for
the station. It contained all the necessary life support systems, living quarters, and docking ports for future
modules and spacecraft.
The Tiangong space station is just one of many notable achievements by the Chinese space program in
recent years, including successful lunar sample-return and Mars rover missions. With the operation of the
Mengtian and Wentian laboratory modules, the station serves as a crucial platform for scientific research
and a stepping stone for China’s future lunar and Martian exploration efforts.
At Tsamouris, we understand the critical role that precision fasteners play in pushing the boundaries of
human exploration and scientific discovery.