China is preparing to construct a large space station in low Earth orbit, starting with the launch of the first module in 2020.

Once completed in around 2022, the 60-tonne Chinese Space Station (CSS) is expected to be operational for at least 10 years, hosting 3-6 astronauts at any one time.

The CSS will be open to science proposals from all United Nations members, and will also be joined by a co-orbiting optical module, similar in size to the Hubble Space Telescope.

Our video above gives an introduction into the history of the project, the plans for launch, research and what we currently know about the modules, the crew, the spacecraft and rockets and facilities on Earth.

For a text version, see our feature: What we know about China's space station: modules, crew, launch plans and more

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