Tianzhou 8 cargo ship to launch in mid-November

The China Manned Space Agency holds a news conference at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwest China on Oct 29, 2024. (Photo/Xinhua)

China's next cargo mission to the Tiangong space station, the Tianzhou 8 has been rescheduled to launch in mid-November, according to Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency.

Lin said at a news conference on Tuesday morning at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center that the rearrangement was made by mission headquarters after considering the impact of the Super Typhoon Yagi, which wreaked havoc in Hainan province that is home to the Wenchang Space Launch Center.

The original launch date was scheduled to take place before the Shenzhou XIX mission, which Lin's office previously published.

The pre-launch preparations have been proceeding according to the new plan, the official said, noting that there are sufficient living and work necessities onboard the Tiangong space station because such postponement has been considered when making related plans.

According to Lin, despite workers at the Wenchang spaceport trying their best to prepare for Super Typhoon Yagi, the natural disaster caused significant damage to the center's launch and living facilities.

After the typhoon, they immediately began to restore damaged equipment and made all-out efforts to reduce the impact, he said.