China’s unpiloted cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-4, docked with the Chinese Space Station (CSS) at 0047 GMT on 10 May, seven hours after its televised Long March 7 (CZ-7) launch which was broadcast on Chinese state media.
The cargo freighter was launched at 1756 GMT on 9 May from a launch pad at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, Southern China.
Tianzhou 4 took around 6 metric tons of cargo to the Chinese Space Station. Courtesy: CGTN.
The mission marks the fourth flight of China’s Tianzhou cargo ship design, and the third Tianzhou mission to support the Chinese space station.
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC), Tianzhou-4 carried around six metric tons of cargo including food, hardware, and propellant. The cargo is reported to enable the next crew at the Chinese space station a six month stay in orbit. That crew of three astronauts will be carried by China’s Shenzhou 14 mission, which is scheduled for launch next month. They will unload the supplies from Tianzhou-4 after they dock and enter the station.
The Tianhe core module was launched in April 2021 to start the in-orbit construction of the CSS. The Tianzhou-4 flight represents the sixth launch in a series of 11 space missions needed to complete the assembly of the station, according to reports.
