China launches Tianzhou-10 cargo craft to send space station supplies

A Long March-7 Y11 carrier rocket carrying the cargo craft Tianzhou-10 blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

WENCHANG, Hainan, May 11 (Xinhua) -- China launched the cargo craft Tianzhou-10 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on Monday morning to deliver supplies for its orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The Long March-7 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-10, blasted off at 8:14 a.m. (Beijing Time) from Wenchang, south China's Hainan Province, the agency said.

After about 10 minutes, Tianzhou-10 separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit. Its solar panels soon unfolded. The agency declared the launch a complete success.

A Long March-7 Y11 carrier rocket carrying the cargo craft Tianzhou-10 blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-7 Y11 carrier rocket carrying the cargo craft Tianzhou-10 blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

A Long March-7 Y11 carrier rocket carrying the cargo craft Tianzhou-10 blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, May 11, 2026. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

The cargo craft Tianzhou-10 successfully docked at the rear docking port of Tianhe, the core module of China's space station Tiangong, on Monday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 docking with the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 docking with the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This simulated image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 as it completes docking with the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 approaching the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 approaching the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

This image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on May 11, 2026 shows China's cargo craft Tianzhou-10 as it completes docking with the space station combination. (Photo by Han Qiyang/Xinhua)

Tianzhou-10 is loaded with essential supplies, including one extravehicular spacesuit, consumables for the crew's on-orbit stay, propellants, and payloads for scientific experiments.

The mission is the fifth cargo resupply flight of China's manned space program since the space station entered the application and development phase. It is also the 641st mission of the Long March rocket series.