The Tianzhou-2 spacecraft successfully entered orbit yesterday and docked with the Tianhe module of the Tiangong space station.
The Long March rocket launched the Tianzhou-2 spacecraft into orbit. (Video: CMSA).
According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), the Tianzhou-2, mounted atop the Long March 7 Y3 rocket, lifted off at 20:55 on May 29, Beijing time, from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan Province, southern China. The flight carried 1.96 tons of propellant and 4.69 tons of supplies to support future crewed missions.
Exactly 604 seconds after launch, the spacecraft separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. At 21:17, the solar panels of the spacecraft began to unfold and operated normally.
In a statement released on the morning of May 30, CMSA announced that the Tianzhou-2 had successfully docked with the Tianhe module—the first part of the Tiangong space station, which was launched into orbit on April 29.
The Shenzhou-2 spacecraft docked with the Tianhe module. (Video: CMSA).
This cargo mission serves as a stepping stone for China to send astronauts to the Tianhe module next month. The flight will be launched by the Long March 2F rocket from a launch site in the town of Jiuquan in the Gobi Desert.
China plans to fully assemble the Tiangong space station in orbit through 11 launches over the next two years, including flights carrying propellant, supplies, and crew. The station will consist of three modules, with Tianhe as the core module. Once completed, it will weigh approximately 66 tons.
The Tiangong project has been in development by China for three decades. Previously, the country launched two prototypes, Tiangong 1 and Tiangong 2, also known as space laboratories, in 2011 and 2016, respectively.
