Tianzhou (spacecraft)
![]() Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft prior to launch | |
Manufacturer | CASC |
---|---|
Country of origin | ![]() |
Operator | CMSA |
Applications | Tiangong Space Station resupply |
Specifications | |
Spacecraft type | Automated cargo spacecraft |
Launch mass | 13,500 kg (29,800 lb) (basic); 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) (improved) |
Payload capacity | 6,900 kg (15,200 lb) (basic); 7,400 kg (16,300 lb) (improved) |
Dimensions | 10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft) |
Volume | 40 m3 (1,400 cu ft)[1] |
Production | |
Status | Active |
On order | 1 |
Built | 8 |
Launched | 7 |
Operational | 1 |
Maiden launch | Tianzhou 1 |
Last launch | Tianzhou 7 |
Related spacecraft | |
Derived from | Tiangong-1 |
The Tianzhou (Chinese: 天舟; pinyin: Tiān Zhōu; lit. 'Heavenly Ship') is a Chinese automated cargo spacecraft developed from China's first prototype space station Tiangong-1 to resupply its modular space station. It was first launched (Tianzhou 1) on the Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang on April 20, 2017[2] and demonstrated autonomous propellant transfer (space refueling).[3][4]
The first version of Tianzhou has a mass of 13,500 kg and can carry 6,500 kg of cargo. Tianzhou-6 is the first improved version of the spacecraft to be launched into orbit; it has a mass of about 14,000 kg and can transport 7,400 kg of cargo.[5]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Tianzhou_Rendering.png/220px-Tianzhou_Rendering.png)
Function
[edit]Based on the Tiangong-1 space station, the Tianzhou functions as the main automated cargo spacecraft for the Tiangong space station. It has pressurized, semi-pressurized and unpressurized cargo capabilities, and is able to transport airtight cargo, large extravehicular payloads and experiment platforms. It was first launched on the new Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang on April 20, 2017.[3][6]
Name
[edit]The China Manned Space Engineering Office opened a consultation for the naming of the prospective cargo ship on April 25, 2011. By May 20, it had received more than 50,000 suggestions.[7] On July 8, Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut and deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that they had a short list of ten names.[8] On October 31, 2013, it was revealed that the spacecraft had been named Tianzhou (Chinese: 天舟; pinyin: Tiān Zhōu; lit. 'Heavenly Boat'), combining the Chinese names of the Tiangong (Chinese: 天宫; pinyin: Tiān Gōng) space stations and the Shenzhou (Chinese: 神舟; pinyin: Shén Zhōu) spacecraft. They also stated that they would use the two letter identification TZ.[9]
Missions
[edit]Tianzhou spacecraft were initially flown to the Tiangong space station every 6 months. From Tianzhou 6 onward, missions have been flown with the new version of Tianzhou with increased cargo capacity, allowing the launch frequency to be reduced to three ships every two years.[10]
No. | Spacecraft | S/N | Launch (UTC) | Carrier Rocket |
Launch Pad |
Docking (UTC) | Deorbit (UTC) | Remarks | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Station/ Port |
Docking | Undocking | |||||||||
1 | Tianzhou 1 | — | 11:41, April 20, 2017 (UTC) | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tiangong-2 Forward | 04:16, April 21, 2017 (UTC)[11] | 08:15, September 22, 2017 (UTC) | 10:00, September 22, 2017 (UTC) | Maiden flight of the Tianzhou spacecraft. First Tianzhou flight to Tiangong-2. | [11] |
2 | Tianzhou 2 | — | 12:55, May 29, 2021 (UTC)[12][13] | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft[a][12] | 21:01, May 29, 2021 (UTC)[12][13] | 07:59, March 27, 2022 (UTC) | 10:40, March 31, 2022 (UTC) | First Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [14][15] |
3 | Tianzhou 3 | — | 07:10, September 20, 2021 (UTC)[16] | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft[b] | 14:08, September 20, 2021 (UTC)[17] | 02:59, July 17, 2022 (UTC) | 03:31, July 27, 2022 (UTC) | Second Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [18] |
4 | Tianzhou 4 | — | 17:56, May 9, 2022 (UTC) | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft | 00:54, May 10, 2022 (UTC) | 06:55, November 9, 2022 (UTC) | 23:21, November 14, 2022 (UTC) | Third Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [19] |
5 | Tianzhou 5 | — | 02:03, November 12, 2022 (UTC) | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft | 04:10, November 12, 2022 (UTC) | 08:46, September 11, 2023 (UTC) | 02:13, September 12, 2023 (UTC) | Fourth Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [20] |
6 | Tianzhou 6 | — | 13:22, May 10, 2023 (UTC) | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft | 21:16, May 10, 2023 (UTC) | 08:02, January 12, 2024 (UTC) | 12:37, January 19, 2024 (UTC) | Fifth Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [21] |
7 | Tianzhou 7 | — | 14:27, January 17, 2024 (UTC) | Long March 7 | Wenchang LC-2 | Tianhe Aft | 17:46, January 17, 2024 (UTC) | TBA | TBA | Sixth Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station. | [22] |
See also
[edit]- Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
- Progress spacecraft – an expendable cargo vehicle currently in use by the Russian Federal Space Agency
- Automated Transfer Vehicle – a retired expendable cargo vehicle used by the ESA
- Cygnus spacecraft – an expendable cargo vehicle developed by Northrop Grumman under American CRS program, currently in use.
- H-II Transfer Vehicle – an expendable cargo vehicle currently in use by JAXA
- Dream Chaser Cargo System - a cargo variant of the reusable SNC's spaceplane with Shooting Star module.
- Dragon cargo spacecraft - a reusable cargo vehicle developed by SpaceX, under American CRS program, currently in use.
References
[edit]- ^ "天舟货运飞船到底长啥样 40立方米的货物舱共有208个货格" (in Simplified Chinese). 新華網. 2021-05-31. Retrieved 2022-11-13.
- ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (25 June 2016). "China successfully debuts Long March 7 rocket". NASASpaceflight.com.
- ^ a b Ping, Wu (June 2016). "China Manned Space Programme: Its Achievements and Future Developments" (PDF). China Manned Space Agency. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
- ^ Clark, Stephen (17 September 2017). "Chinese space station freighter concludes refueling demo mission". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (10 May 2023). "Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft reaches China's Tiangong space station". spacenews.com. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- ^ Barbosa, Rui C. (19 April 2017). "Tianzhou-1 – China launches and docks debut cargo resupply". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
- ^ "中国货运飞船征名超5万个" [Chinese cargo ship over 50,000 new name] (in Chinese (China)). China Network Television. 2011-05-20. Archived from the original on 2013-12-06. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
- ^ "中国货运飞船征名结束 龙舟等10个名字入选" [Chinese cargo ship sign name ends dragon boat 10 names selected] (in Chinese (China)). 163.com. 2011-07-09. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
- ^ "中国载人空间站命名"天宫"货运飞船为"天舟"" [China's manned space station cargo spacecraft to be named Tianzhou] (in Chinese (China)). China News. 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2016-06-27.
- ^ "《面对面》专访白明生总师:陪伴"天舟家族"走过的日子-中国空间技术研究院" [Bai Mingsheng: The days of accompanying "Tianzhou family"]. www.cast.cn. Archived from the original on 2023-03-06. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
- ^ a b Clark, Stephen (22 April 2017). "China's Tianzhou 1 cargo carrier docks with space lab in orbit". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ a b c Graham, William (29 May 2021). "China launches Tianzhou 2, first cargo mission to new space station". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ a b Jones, Andrew (29 May 2021). "Tianzhou-2 docks with China's space station module". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- ^ "长征七号遥三火箭 • 天舟二号货运飞船 • LongMarch-7 Y3 • Tianzhou-2". spaceflightfans.cn (in Chinese). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2021. Retrieved 25 May 2021.
- ^ Jones, Andrew (13 April 2021). "China preparing Tianzhou-2 cargo mission to follow upcoming space station launch". SpaceNews. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "China rolls out rocket for Tianzhou 3 cargo mission ahead of Monday launch (Photos)". Space.com. 17 September 2021.
- ^ "Tianzhou-3 spacecraft docks with Chinese space station". spacenews.com. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
- ^ "【2021年9月待定】长征七号 • 天舟三号货运飞船 • LongMarch 7 Y4 • Tianzhou-3". spaceflightfans.cn (in Chinese). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ China Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (16 March 2022). "According to a travel agency, Long March 7 Y5 will launch Tianzhou 4 on MAY 10" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ^ "【2022年10月待定】长征七号 • 天舟五号货运飞船 • LongMarch 7 Y6 • Tianzhou-5". spaceflightfans.cn (in Chinese). 21 April 2021. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
- ^ "关于招募首颗中国高职科普卫星"金陵号" 暨中国青少年科普卫星(八一08星)工程研制团队的通知" [Notice on Recruiting the Engineering Development Team of the First Chinese Higher Vocational Science Satellite "Jinling" and the Chinese Youth Science Satellite (August 08)] (in Chinese). 9 May 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
- ^ "Tianzhou 7". 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
External links
[edit]Media related to Tianzhou at Wikimedia Commons