China launches cargo craft Tianzhou-5 for space station supplies

The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province Nov. 12, 2022. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

WENCHANG, Hainan, Nov. 12 (Xinhua) -- China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 on Saturday to deliver supplies for the country's space station, the construction of which is expected to be completed this year.

The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-5, blasted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-5 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The CMSA declared the launch a complete success.

The cargo craft carries around 5 tonnes of goods and materials and 1.4 tonnes of propellant for the space station complex, including essential supplies for the three astronauts on the upcoming Shenzhou-15 mission for their six-month orbital stay, said Pan Weizhen, a designer of the cargo craft system from the China Academy of Space Technology.

It also carries test projects including a science popularization satellite, space hydrogen and oxygen fuel cell system, and broad-energy-spectrum high-energy particle detection equipment.

China launched the space lab module Mengtian on Oct. 31, taking the construction of the country's space station into the final stage.

With the core module Tianhe and lab modules Wentian and Mengtian, the space station has formed a three-module T-shape structure. Such a structure is the planned layout at the space station's completion.

The country plans to launch the Shenzhou-15 crewed spaceship later this year. The Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 crew members will conduct the first in-orbit crew rotation in China's space history.

Saturday's launch is the 26th mission of China's manned space programs and the 449th mission of the Long March rocket series.

The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province Nov. 12, 2022. China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 on Saturday to deliver supplies for the space station, the construction of which is expected to be completed this year.

The rocket blasted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) (0203 GMT) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-5 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The CMSA declared the launch a complete success. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province Nov. 12, 2022. China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 on Saturday to deliver supplies for the space station, the construction of which is expected to be completed this year.

The rocket blasted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) (0203 GMT) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-5 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The CMSA declared the launch a complete success. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)

The Long March-7 Y6 rocket, carrying cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province Nov. 12, 2022. China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 on Saturday to deliver supplies for the space station, the construction of which is expected to be completed this year.

The rocket blasted off at 10:03 a.m. (Beijing Time) (0203 GMT) from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

After around 10 minutes, Tianzhou-5 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded and began working. The CMSA declared the launch a complete success. (Xinhua/Pu Xiaoxu)