Tianzhou (spacecraft)

Tianzhou

Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft prior to launch
Manufacturer	CASC
Country of origin	China
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	9
Launched	9
Operational	1
Maiden launch	Tianzhou 1
Last launch	Tianzhou 9
Related spacecraft
Derived from	Tiangong-1
Powered by	4× 490 N main engines, 32 attitude control engines (25, 120, 150 N thrust) [2]

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 ^[3] and demonstrated autonomous propellant transfer (space refueling). ^{[4] [5]}

The first version of Tianzhou has a mass of 13,500 kg and can carry 6,900 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. ^[6]

Function

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. ^{[4] [7]}

Name

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. ^[8] 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. ^[9] 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. ^[10]

Missions

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. ^[11]

Mission	Launch (UTC)	Carrier Rocket	Launch Pad	Docking (UTC)			Deorbit (UTC)	Remarks
				Station/ Port	Docking	Undocking
Tianzhou 1	20 April 2017, 11:41	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tiangong-2 forward	21 April 2017, 04:16	22 September 2017, 08:15	22 September 2017, 10:00	Maiden flight of the Tianzhou spacecraft. Only Tianzhou flight to Tiangong-2.	[12]
Tianzhou 2	29 May 2021, 12:55	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft [a]	29 May 2021, 21:01	27 March 2022, 07:59	31 March 2022, 10:40	First Tianzhou flight to the Tiangong space station.	[13] [14] [15] [16]
Tianzhou 3	20 September 2021, 07:10	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft [b]	20 September 2021, 14:08	17 July 2022, 02:59	27 July 2022, 03:31		[17] [18] [19]
Tianzhou 4	9 May 2022, 17:56	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	10 May 2022, 00:54	9 November 2022, 06:55	14 November 2022, 23:21		[20]
Tianzhou 5	12 November 2022, 02:03	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	12 November 2022, 04:10	11 September 2023, 08:46	12 September 2023, 02:13		[21]
Tianzhou 6	10 May 2023, 13:22	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	10 May 2023, 21:16	12 January 2024, 08:02	19 January 2024, 12:37		[22]
Tianzhou 7	17 January 2024, 14:27	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	17 January 2024, 17:46	10 November 2024, 08:30	17 November 2024, 13:25		[23]
Tianzhou 8	15 November 2024, 15:13	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	15 November 2024, 18:32	8 July 2025, 07:09	8 July 2025, 22:46		[24]
Tianzhou 9	14 July 2025, 21:34	Long March 7	Wenchang, LC‑201	Tianhe aft	15 July 2025, 0:52	TBA	TBA		[25]

See also

• Spaceflight portal

• 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

1. Initially docked to aft port, moved to forward port on 18 Sep 2021, and then again to portside port on 6 Jan 2022
2. Initially docked to aft port, moved to forward port on 20 Apr 2022

1. "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.
2. Lei, Jianyu; Jia, Dongyong; Bai, Mingsheng; Feng, Yong; Li, Xingqian (2023). "Research and Development of the Tianzhou Cargo Spacecraft". Space: Science & Technology. 3. doi: 10.34133/space.0006 . ISSN   2692-7659.
3. Barbosa, Rui C. (25 June 2016). "China successfully debuts Long March 7 rocket". NASASpaceflight.com .
4. Ping, Wu (June 2016). "China Manned Space Programme: Its Achievements and Future Developments" (PDF). China Manned Space Agency. Retrieved 2016-06-28.
5. Clark, Stephen (17 September 2017). "Chinese space station freighter concludes refueling demo mission". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
6. Jones, Andrew (10 May 2023). "Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft reaches China's Tiangong space station". spacenews.com. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
7. Barbosa, Rui C. (19 April 2017). "Tianzhou-1 – China launches and docks debut cargo resupply". NASASpaceFlight.com . Retrieved 5 May 2018.
8. "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.
9. "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.
10. "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.
11. "《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.
12. Clark, Stephen (22 April 2017). "China's Tianzhou 1 cargo carrier docks with space lab in orbit". Spaceflight Now. Retrieved 24 April 2021.
13. "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.
14. Jones, Andrew (13 April 2021). "China preparing Tianzhou-2 cargo mission to follow upcoming space station launch". SpaceNews . Retrieved 24 April 2021.
15. Graham, William (29 May 2021). "China launches Tianzhou 2, first cargo mission to new space station". NASASpaceFlight.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
16. Jones, Andrew (29 May 2021). "Tianzhou-2 docks with China's space station module". SpaceNews.com. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
17. "China rolls out rocket for Tianzhou 3 cargo mission ahead of Monday launch (Photos)". Space.com . 17 September 2021.
18. "Tianzhou-3 spacecraft docks with Chinese space station". spacenews.com. 20 September 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2021.
19. "【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.
20. 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.
21. "【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.
22. "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.
23. "Tianzhou 7". 17 January 2024. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
24. "Tianzhou 8" . Retrieved 14 November 2024.
25. "Long March 7 | Tianzhou 9". nextspaceflight.com. Retrieved 2025-07-16.

External links

• Media related to Tianzhou at Wikimedia Commons