Tianzhou 7

Tianzhou 7

A Tianzhou 3D model
Mission type	Tiangong space station resupply
Operator	CNSA
COSPAR ID	2024-013A
SATCAT no.	58811
Website	www.cnsa.gov.cn
Mission duration	126 days, 9 hours and 25 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Tianzhou-7
Spacecraft type	Tianzhou
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch mass	14,000 kg (31,000 lb)
Payload mass	7,400 kg (16,300 lb)
Dimensions	10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft)
Power	2
Expedition
Space station	Tiangong space station
Start of mission
Launch date	17 January 2024, 14:27 UTC[1]
Rocket	Long March 7
Launch site	Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, LC-201
Contractor	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Inclination	41.5°
Docking with Tiangong space station
Docking port	Tianhe Aft port
Docking date	17 January 2024, 17:46 UTC
Time docked	126 days, 6 hours and 6 minutes
Tianzhou 7 mission patch Shenzhou program ← Shenzhou 17 Shenzhou 18 →   Tianzhou program ← Tianzhou 6 Tianzhou 8 →

Tianzhou 7 (Chinese: 天舟七号) is the seventh mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the sixth resupply mission to the Tiangong Space Station. Like previous Tianzhou missions, the spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan, China on a Long March 7 rocket.

Mission history

On 20 November 2023, CMSA announced that Tianzhou 7 had completed manufacturing, and was delivered to Wenchang.^[2]

On 21 December 2023, Long March 7 Y8, the launch vehicle for this mission, arrived at Wenchang Space Launch Site. It started to conduct stacking and tests with the already arrived Tianzhou 7.^[3]

On 17 January 2024 at 14:27 UTC, Long March 7 Y8 successfully lifted off from Wenchang SLS's LC-201, propelling Tianzhou 7 towards the Tiangong Station.^[4] The spacecraft docked successfully with Tiangong some three hours later at 17:46 UTC.^[5]

Spacecraft

References