# Tiangong-3

> previously planned Chinese space station module

**Wikidata**: [Q2559297](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2559297)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiangong-3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tiangong-3

## Summary
Tiangong-3 is a previously planned Chinese space station module (native name: 天宫三号) that was part of the Tiangong program. It is classified as an instance of both a space station and an abandoned project and was intended to follow Tiangong-2 in the program sequence.

## Key Facts
- Tiangong-3 (native label: 天宫三号) is a previously planned module of the Chinese Tiangong space station program.  
- Country of origin: People's Republic of China.  
- Classified instance_of: space station and abandoned project.  
- Tiangong-3 was planned to follow Tiangong-2 in the Tiangong program sequence.  
- Program association: part_of the Tiangong program.  
- Wikimedia Commons image: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Tiangong_3_space_laboratory_model.jpg.  
- Freebase identifier: /m/04n0967 (reference publication_date: 2013-10-28).  
- Wikidata description: "previously planned Chinese space station module."  
- Wikipedia and Wikimedia presence: sitelink_count 11; Wikipedia languages include commons, en, es, fr, he, id, pt, ru, uk, zh.  
- Commons category: Tiangong-3; Wikipedia title: Tiangong-3.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Tiangong-3?
A: Tiangong-3 is a previously planned module in China's Tiangong space station program, designated in Chinese as 天宫三号. It is categorized as both a space station module and an abandoned project.

### Q: Was Tiangong-3 launched into orbit?
A: No. Tiangong-3 is described in source material as a previously planned module and is classified as an abandoned project, indicating it was not completed as an active station module.

### Q: How does Tiangong-3 relate to Tiangong-2?
A: Tiangong-3 was intended to follow Tiangong-2 in the Tiangong program sequence, making Tiangong-2 its immediate predecessor in planning.

## Why It Matters
Tiangong-3 is significant as a documented step in the development of China’s Tiangong space station program. Even as a planned and later abandoned module, it represents a defined stage in the program’s evolution and planning record. Being classified as a space station module links Tiangong-3 to the objective of establishing spacecraft designed to remain in orbit for extended periods with a crew; therefore its design and planning reflect aspects of China’s approach to crewed, long-duration orbital infrastructure. The module’s abandonment is also noteworthy for program historians and analysts because it marks a decision point in program trajectory and resource allocation. Tiangong-3’s presence in multiple Wikimedia and Wikipedia language editions, along with formal identifiers such as a Freebase ID and a Commons media model image, shows it is a recognized and documented element in public knowledge bases about China’s human spaceflight efforts.

## Notable For
- Being explicitly described as a previously planned Chinese space station module (native name: 天宫三号).  
- Official classification as both a space station and an abandoned project.  
- Planned program placement: designated to follow Tiangong-2 within the Tiangong program.  
- Documented in multiple public knowledge sources (Freebase ID /m/04n0967, Wikimedia Commons image, Wikipedia pages in multiple languages).

## Body
### Overview
- Name: Tiangong-3.  
- Native label: 天宫三号.  
- Short description: previously planned Chinese space station module.  
- Country: People's Republic of China.  
- Program: Part of the Tiangong program.

### Classification and status
- Instance_of: space station — defined as a spacecraft designed to remain in space for an extended period with a crew.  
- Instance_of: abandoned project — the module is recorded as a planned item that was not completed/implemented.  
- Program sequence: listed as following Tiangong-2.

### Identifiers and public records
- Freebase ID: /m/04n0967 (reference record lists publication_date 2013-10-28).  
- Wikidata short description: "previously planned Chinese space station module."  
- Wikipedia title: Tiangong-3.  
- Wikimedia Commons category: Tiangong-3.  
- Wikimedia Commons media: model image available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Tiangong_3_space_laboratory_model.jpg.

### Public documentation and reach
- Wikipedia/Wikimedia presence across languages: commons, en, es, fr, he, id, pt, ru, uk, zh.  
- Sitelink count: 11, indicating coverage in multiple linked databases/pages.

### Program context
- Tiangong-3 is explicitly tied to the Tiangong program and listed as the successor in planning to Tiangong-2.  
- As a planned space station module, its conceptual role aligns with modules intended to support crewed, extended-duration orbital operations (per the space station class definition).

### Status summary
- Tiangong-3 is recorded in public knowledge bases as planned but ultimately an abandoned project. No launch or active operational status is indicated in the available source material.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013