{"id":10526,"date":"2022-05-10T00:32:25","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T16:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-productionenv-bjg9h2g2bgg5b8aa.southeastasia-01.azurewebsites.net\/news\/china-launches-tianzhou-4-cargo-ship-heading-for-space-station\/"},"modified":"2022-05-10T00:32:25","modified_gmt":"2022-05-09T16:32:25","slug":"china-launches-tianzhou-4-cargo-ship-heading-for-space-station","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/news\/china-launches-tianzhou-4-cargo-ship-heading-for-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"China launches Tianzhou 4 cargo ship heading for space station"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>EDITOR\u2019S NOTE:&nbsp;<\/strong>Updated after docking.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56859\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-56859\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56859\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/lm7-tz4-quick1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/lm7-tz4-quick1.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/lm7-tz4-quick1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/lm7-tz4-quick1-678x383.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/lm7-tz4-quick1-768x433.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-56859\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Four booster engines and two core stage engines fire to propel a Long March 7 rocket off its launch pad at the Wenchang launch base Monday. Credit: CCTV<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>China launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo freighter for the country\u2019s space station Monday, beginning a resupply mission to stage hardware, propellant, and provisions at the complex before arrival of the next long-duration crew in June.<\/p>\n<p>Chinese state television broadcasted the launch, which occurred at 1:56:37 p.m. EDT (1756:37 GMT) Monday, roughly the moment Earth\u2019s rotation brought the Wenchang launch base on Hainan Island under the orbital plane of China\u2019s space station.<\/p>\n<p>The unpiloted cargo ship docked with China\u2019s space station at 8:54 p.m. EDT (0054 GMT), about seven hours after liftoff. The three astronauts training to launch on China\u2019s Shenzhou 14 mission, set for launch next month, will unpack the cargo from the Tianzhou 4 spacecraft after they arrive at the station.<\/p>\n<p>A 174-foot-tall (53-meter) Long March 7 rocket carried the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship aloft. Liftoff occurred at 1:56 a.m. Beijing time.<\/p>\n<p>The Long March 7 rocket was powered by six kerosene-fueled engines during the climb off the launch pad at Wenchang. The engines generated 1.6 million pounds of thrust, and the Long March 7 steered southeast over the South China Sea to line up&nbsp;with the Chinese space station\u2019s orbit inclined 41.5 degrees to the equator.<\/p>\n<p>The Long March 7 is a two-stage rocket augmented with four strap-on boosters. The rocket consumed 45,000 gallons, or 170 cubic meters, of kerosene fuel in combination with cryogenic liquid oxygen during the 10-minute ascent into orbit.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1523724343687196672&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2022%2F05%2F09%2Flong-march-7-tianzhou-4-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=26514676d59d2d821076e90784e0db1addf7655b&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1523724343687196672\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782464677393541437=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Liftoff of a Long March 7 rocket and the unpiloted Tianzhou 4 cargo ship from the Wenchang launch base in southern China, hauling propellants, hardware, and crew provisions to the Chinese space station. https:\/\/t.co\/Z8yMU4Qzk5 pic.twitter.com\/4zz2HP5FbU<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) May 9, 2022<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The rocket shed its four boosters and core stage about three minutes into the mission. Four YF-115 engines on the second stage fired to continue the push into orbit. The rocket deployed the supply freighter into orbit about 10 minutes after liftoff.<\/p>\n<p>After separating from the Long March 7, the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship extended solar panels and began automated thruster firings to link up with the Chinese space station some 240 miles (385 kilometers) above Earth.<\/p>\n<p>Deng Hongqin, director of the launch center, said the Tianzhou 4 cargo ship \u201caccurately entered the preset orbit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe solar panels have been extended, and the cargo ship is in good condition. I now declare the launch mission a complete success,\u201d Deng said.<\/p>\n<p>The cargo ship carries food, hardware, and propellant, and other provisions for the space station and the next crew to live and work on the research complex for six months. The Tianzhou logistics vehicle is analogous to SpaceX\u2019s Dragon cargo ship, Northrop Grumman\u2019s Cygnus freighter, and Russia\u2019s Progress supply craft that support the International Space Station.<\/p>\n<p>The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., or CASC, said the Tianzhou 4 mission carried about 6 metric tons (13,200 pounds) of cargo. The supplies include food, spare parts, experiment hardware, and other items for the next space station crew.<\/p>\n<p>While docked to the Tiangong station, Tianzhou cargo ships can provide propulsion to change the orbit of the complex. Chinese officials said the Tianzhou 4 mission also carries propellant to be pumped into the propulsion system tanks on the Tianhe core module.<\/p>\n<p>The mission is the fourth flight of China\u2019s Tianzhou cargo ship design, and the third Tianzhou mission in support of the Chinese space station, following an initial test flight in 2017. The Tianzhou 3 supply ship, which launched last September, remains docked to the Tianhe core module at the Chinese station, following an automated maneuver last month to relocate from the core module\u2019s rear port to the forward port on Tianhe.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_56860\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-56860\" style=\"width: 1200px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-56860\" src=\"http:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1195\" srcset=\"https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch-678x675.jpg 678w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/spaceflightnow.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/tz4patch-768x765.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-56860\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">The official patch for the Tianzhou 4 mission, with an illustration of the configuration of China\u2019s space station after and Tianzhou 4 docking. Credit: CMSE<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>The older Tianzhou 2 cargo ship departed the Tianhe module in March and burned up on re-entry into Earth\u2019s atmosphere, as designed, disposing of trash and other unnecessary equipment loaded into the spacecraft by the station\u2019s previous crew.<\/p>\n<p>The three astronauts of the Shenzhou 13 crew left the station and landed in China\u2019s Inner Mongolia region on April 15, completing a 182-day mission in orbit, the longest Chinese human spaceflight to date.<\/p>\n<p>After the launch of the three Shenzhou 14 crew in June, China plans to launch two new lab modules to expand the Chinese space station in July and October.<\/p>\n<p><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: absolute; visibility: hidden; width: 0px; height: 0px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"X Post\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1523726864497274881&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fspaceflightnow.com%2F2022%2F05%2F09%2Flong-march-7-tianzhou-4-launch%2F&amp;sessionId=26514676d59d2d821076e90784e0db1addf7655b&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1523726864497274881\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-twitter-extracted-i1782464677393541437=\"true\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Long March 7 rocket\u2019s second stage has shut down its engines and deployed the Tianzhou 4 supply ship in orbit.<\/p>\n<p>Tianzhou 4 will use its own thrusters to complete an automated docking with the Chinese space station later today.https:\/\/t.co\/Z8yMU4yXVv pic.twitter.com\/TCaiXiwUVV<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Spaceflight Now (@SpaceflightNow) May 9, 2022<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>The Tianhe module has starboard and port attachment points for the new lab modules, along with forward, rear, and nadir \u2014 or Earth-facing \u2014 docking ports for crew and cargo ships.<\/p>\n<p>The Tianhe core module launched in April 2021 to begin assembly of the Chinese space station. The in-orbit construction of the station requires 11 launches, according to China\u2019s space agency. The Tianzhou 4 mission is the sixth launch in that series of space station assembly and outfitting missions.<\/p>\n<p>The 11 launches will be followed by a series of resupply and astronaut flights to maintain operations and perform scientific research on the station.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Email the author.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><em><strong>Follow Stephen Clark on Twitter: @StephenClark1.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>EDITOR\u2019S NOTE:&nbsp;Updated after docking. Four booster engines and two core stage engines fire to propel a Long March 7 rocket off its launch pad at the Wenchang launch base Monday. Credit: CCTV China launched the Tianzhou 4 cargo freighter for the country\u2019s space station Monday, beginning a resupply mission to stage hardware, propellant, and provisions [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-10526","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10526"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10526"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10526\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10526"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10526"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starpath.global\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10526"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}