Chinese Set to Launch Space Station Prototype

Oh, and it's called "Heavenly Palace." Your move, NASA.

While NASA satellites might be falling out of the sky, China's space program is set to launch a prototype for a manned space station later this week. The Tiangong 1, or "Heavenly Palace" module (already a much better name than the International Space Station), will blast off either Thursday or Friday. Once it's in orbit, the module will provide a means for the Chinese space agency to practice docking spacecrafts in space in preparation for the launch of China's manned space station in 2020. China wasn't allowed to join the ISS project when it first launched, but expect them to laugh longest and loudest when the ISS comes crashing back down to Earth in 2020, right around the time the Chinese station is due to go live.