When people think of a space station, they think of the ISS. But since 2022 there has been a second crewed outpost permanently orbiting Earth — one that is entirely Chinese, independently operated, and visible to the naked eye from virtually every populated country on the planet. Tiangong is not a future plan or a prototype: it is a fully operational, three-module space station with a crew of three taikonauts living and working aboard it right now.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Tiangong — what it is, how it was built, who lives on it, and exactly how to find it in the sky tonight.
What Is Tiangong?
Tiangong (天宫) translates from Mandarin as "Heavenly Palace" — a name that echoes through Chinese mythology as the celestial home of the gods. The modern Tiangong is China's third space station effort, following the smaller experimental Tiangong-1 (2011) and Tiangong-2 (2016) precursor modules.
The current station — formally designated the Chinese Space Station (CSS) — is a T-shaped modular structure capable of permanently hosting a crew of three, with provisions for temporary expansion to six during crew handovers. It was declared fully complete and operational in October 2022 after the final science module docked successfully.
Tiangong is only the second crewed space station currently in orbit. The ISS is the other. Every other station in history — Salyut, Skylab, Mir, Tiangong-1, Tiangong-2 — has been deorbited. As of 2026, these two stations represent the entire permanent human presence in space.
What Does Tiangong Look Like from Earth?
Tiangong does not look like a spacecraft. Like the ISS, it looks like a bright, steady dot of light — white to slightly amber — moving smoothly and silently across the sky. No blinking. No engine noise. Just a confident point of light sweeping from one horizon toward the other.
The key to spotting it is the speed. Tiangong crosses the full sky in roughly 3 to 5 minutes on a high-elevation pass — visibly faster than any aircraft, but slower and more deliberate than a shooting star. At magnitude −3 on a good pass, it stands out immediately against the stars.
The golden dot is Tiangong. It orbits Earth roughly 15–16 times every 24 hours — but is only visible during the twilight windows around dusk and dawn, when you are in darkness and the station is still in sunlight.
If it's bright, moving steadily, and not blinking — it's a space station or satellite. Tiangong is slightly less bright than the ISS (−3 vs −5.9) but both are immediately obvious against the stars. The main difference you'll notice is speed and silence — no aircraft comes close.
Modules and Structure
The station has a distinctive T-shaped layout — a central core module with two science modules extending perpendicular to it, plus multiple docking ports for visiting spacecraft.
T-shaped configuration: Tianhe core + Wentian + Mengtian science modules, with Shenzhou crew and Tianzhou cargo ships docked below.
Tianhe — the core
Launched in April 2021, Tianhe is the heart of the station. It contains the living quarters for the three-person crew — sleeping cabins, exercise equipment, the galley, and life support systems — plus the main propulsion and attitude control. At 16.6 metres long, it is roughly the size of a large bus.
Wentian and Mengtian — the science laboratories
The two science modules launched in 2022 and extend perpendicular to Tianhe to form the T-shape. Wentian focuses on life sciences and biotechnology, and includes an airlock for spacewalks. Mengtian hosts physics and materials science experiments — including a cold atomic clock and microgravity fluid experiments that are impossible on Earth. Both modules are 17.9 metres long.
Orbit and Visibility Zone
Tiangong orbits at an altitude of approximately 340–450 km, in a 41.5° inclined orbit. This inclination determines where on Earth it can be seen.
Tiangong's 41.5° inclination means it passes over all locations between roughly 52°N and 52°S latitude — covering virtually all of Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The only areas excluded are the extreme polar regions. If you can see the ISS from your location, you can almost certainly see Tiangong too.
Like all LEO spacecraft, Tiangong is only visible during the twilight windows — the 90 minutes after sunset and before sunrise, when you are in darkness but the station is still illuminated by the Sun. On a good overhead pass, it is unmistakable: a bright, amber-white dot moving smoothly and silently across the full sky in 3–5 minutes.
| Parameter | Tiangong (CSS) | ISS |
|---|---|---|
| Orbital altitude | ~340–450 km | ~408 km |
| Inclination | 41.5° | 51.6° |
| Orbital period | ~91–92 min | ~92 min |
| Max brightness | Magnitude −3 | Magnitude −5.9 |
| Pass duration (good pass) | 3–5 min | 3–6 min |
| Visible from | 52°N to 52°S | 51.6°N to 51.6°S |
| Total mass | ~70 tonnes | ~420 tonnes |
| Crew capacity | 3 (up to 6 during handover) | 6–7 |
Crew and Missions
Tiangong is continuously crewed by Chinese taikonauts (航天员) in rotating missions designated Shenzhou (神舟, "Divine Vessel"). Each crew of three typically serves a 6-month rotation. During handovers, both crews are aboard simultaneously — six taikonauts total.
Crew launches and landings take place at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert, using a Long March 2F rocket. The Shenzhou spacecraft docks with Tianhe within hours of launch. Cargo resupply is handled by the uncrewed Tianzhou freighters, which carry food, propellant, and experiment hardware.
Unlike the ISS — which has hosted astronauts from 19 countries — Tiangong has so far only hosted Chinese taikonauts. China has stated an intention to eventually host international visitors, and ESA astronauts have trained in Chinese facilities. As of 2026, no non-Chinese crew member has flown to Tiangong, reflecting both political dynamics and the US Wolf Amendment that restricts NASA-China bilateral cooperation.
Tiangong vs. the ISS
The inevitable comparison. The ISS is a 15-nation collaboration begun in the 1990s, with a mass of ~420 tonnes and a solar panel wingspan of 109 metres — the most complex structure ever assembled in space, continuously inhabited since November 2000. Tiangong was assembled by China alone in under two years, at roughly one-sixth the mass.
What Tiangong lacks in size, it makes up for in political significance. China was excluded from the ISS programme by the Wolf Amendment (2011), which prohibits NASA from bilateral cooperation with China. Tiangong is China's independent answer to that exclusion — a demonstration that it can build and operate a space station entirely without international partners.
With the ISS scheduled for deorbit around 2030, Tiangong's trajectory matters enormously. If NASA's commercial station replacements (Axiom Station, Starlab) are not yet operational when the ISS deorbits, Tiangong may briefly be the only crewed station in orbit.
How to See Tiangong Tonight
Spotting Tiangong is straightforward — it is one of the brightest objects in the night sky. The key is knowing when it passes over your location and which direction to face.
- Open Next Passes and allow location access Go to satfleetlive.com/next-passes.html and allow the location prompt. Accurate coordinates are essential — pass times can differ by several minutes just 100 km apart. Use the "Change location" button to set any location manually.
- Select "Space Stations" from the satellite type filter This narrows results to the ISS and Tiangong. Both appear in the results almost instantly — no need to process the full satellite database.
- Set 3 days and click Calculate Passes Three days gives plenty of options. Tiangong orbits ~15 times per day, so there are always several visible passes in any 3-day window from your location.
- Find Tiangong in the results It appears labelled CSS (TIANHE-1). Sort by "Brightest first" and look for passes above 30° elevation — these will be clearly visible rather than skimming the horizon behind buildings or trees.
- Note the start time, direction, and max elevation The Direction field shows three compass points: where it appears, where it peaks, and where it disappears (e.g. W → SW → S). Set an alarm 2 minutes before the start time and face the first direction.
- Set a browser alert so you don't miss it Press "Notify me" on the Tiangong pass card. You'll get a notification 10 minutes before — enough time to step outside — and another 2 minutes before it appears. Works on desktop and Android Chrome. No account, no app download.
Always prioritise high elevation passes (above 40°) — Tiangong will be much brighter and cross a wider arc of sky. A 60° pass at magnitude −2.8 is a genuinely impressive sight. A 10° pass barely clears the horizon and may disappear behind trees before reaching peak brightness. Once you pick your pass, hit "Notify me" to get a browser alert 10 and 2 minutes before it starts.
Tips for the Best Tiangong Observation
Go out 3 minutes early
Let your eyes adjust before the pass starts. Tiangong rises fast and you do not want to spend 30 seconds fumbling with a bright phone screen while it is already climbing.
Track the full arc
The Direction field gives you three compass points: start, peak, end. Tiangong is brightest at peak elevation — often a completely different direction than where it first appeared.
Prioritise high passes
A 60° pass is noticeably brighter and lasts longer than a 20° one. Sort results by elevation and save the high passes for your first experiences.
Try binoculars at peak
At maximum elevation, 10×50 binoculars may resolve Tiangong's T-shape — the Tianhe core with Wentian and Mengtian extending on either side like stubby wings.
Check the weather first
Cloud cover is the only thing that can ruin a perfect prediction. Even thin high cloud can dim Tiangong below naked-eye visibility. Check sky conditions before heading out.
Photograph the pass
Set your camera on a tripod, align it with the arc direction, and shoot a 15–25 second exposure. Tiangong leaves a clean, bright streak across the stars — one of the easiest astrophotos you can take.