What is the literal Mandarin translation of the name Tiangong (天宫空间站)?
Answer
Heavenly Palace space station
The name Tiangong, written in Mandarin as 天宫空间站, directly translates to 'Heavenly Palace space station.' This name signifies the advanced nature of the current permanent outpost, marking a step up in capability compared to its predecessors. The nomenclature itself connects this new structure to China's earlier experimental space labs, Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2, which shared the same root name, though the current station operates without a serial number designation.

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