Tianzhou – Spaceflight Now

Chinese Long March rocket launches oceanography satellite

May 19, 2021 Stephen Clark

A Long March 4B rocket successfully launched an oceanography satellite Wednesday from northwestern China, hours before officials at a different spaceport scrubbed the planned launch of a cargo ship to deliver supplies to the Chinese space station.

China to begin construction of space station this year

January 10, 2021 Stephen Clark

The core section of China’s space station is scheduled to launch in the next several months, the first of 11 missions carrying lab elements, cargo, and astronauts to the fledgling outpost over the next two years, according to Chinese space program officials.

China’s Tianzhou 1 supply vehicle re-enters atmosphere

September 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Chinese Tianzhou 1 resupply and refueling freighter re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Friday, burning up as designed after a five-month mission demonstrating servicing techniques for China’s future space station.

Chinese space station freighter concludes refueling demo mission

September 17, 2017 Stephen Clark

China’s Tianzhou 1 freighter, a pathfinder for regular resupply and refueling trips to the country’s planned space station, wrapped up a series of successful propellant transfer tests with the orbiting Tiangong 2 space lab Saturday and detached from the module for more standalone experiments and a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.

Tianzhou 1 freighter achieves China’s first in-space refueling demo

April 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

The robotic Tianzhou 1 refueling freighter launched last week has successfully completed the first in-orbit propellant transfer with China’s Tiangong 2 space lab, a major accomplishment as the country’s engineers hope to finish assembly of a large space station by 2022, officials said Thursday.

China’s Tianzhou 1 cargo carrier docks with space lab in orbit

April 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

Less than two days after launching from southern China, the Tianzhou 1 supply ship glided to an automated linkup with the Chinese Tiangong 2 space laboratory around 240 miles above Earth on Saturday, ready for several months of technical demonstrations to prepare for assembly of a space station in the next few years.

First supply ship for Chinese space station lifts off on test flight

April 20, 2017 Stephen Clark

A Long March 7 rocket lifted off Thursday with Tianzhou 1, an unpiloted refueling freighter heading for China’s Tiangong 2 mini-space station to conduct several months of robotic demonstrations, practicing for the assembly and maintenance of a future permanently-staffed orbital research complex.

China’s first robotic resupply freighter transferred to launch pad

April 17, 2017 Stephen Clark

Chinese engineers rolled out a Long March 7 rocket to a seaside launch complex on Hainan Island in the South China Sea on Monday, aiming to fire a robotic refueling freighter into orbit as soon as Thursday to test technology for China’s future space station.