China rolls out rocket for Tianzhou 3 cargo mission in advance of Monday start (shots)
As one particular high-profile Chinese mission returns to Earth, an additional prepares to raise off.
A Long March 7 rocket topped with the robotic Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft has rolled out to its pad at the Wenchang Satellite Start Center in Hainan, Chinese place officers declared on Wednesday (Sept. 15).
Tianzhou 3 is anticipated to launch toward Tianhe (“Harmony of the Heavens”), the core module of China’s new house station, on Monday (Sept. 20) or thereabouts, according to the South China Early morning Post. Tianhe just hosted the 3-human being Shenzhou 12 mission, which lived aboard the 54-foot-prolonged (16.6 meters) module for a few months.
Relevant: The latest news about China’s area program
The Shenzhou 12 spacecraft departed Tianhe on Wednesday (Sept. 15) and is envisioned to land in the Gobi Desert early Friday early morning (Sept. 17).
Tianzhou 3 is the fourth of 11 missions designed to establish China’s three-module place station, which is known as Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”). The initially of individuals liftoffs, on April 28, lofted Tianhe. The launch of the robotic Tianzhou 2 offer mission followed on Could 29, and Shenzhou 12 got off the ground on June 16.
Tianzhou 3 will carry materials, equipment and propellant to support get Tianhe ready for its subsequent crewed pay a visit to, which is coming up before long. The 3-particular person Shenzhou 13 mission is scheduled to start toward the module in mid-Oct for a six-thirty day period stay. (Exact goal dates are tough to appear by for Chinese missions simply because the nation tends not to announce a lot of particulars of its spaceflight plans in advance.)
All 11 launches will be finish, and Tiangong fully assembled, in 2022, if all goes in accordance to plan.
Shenzhou 12’s landing will be adopted in limited buy by the landing of a different crewed spacecraft. SpaceX’s all-personal Inspiration4 mission, which introduced to Earth orbit on Wednesday night time (Sept. 15), is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida on Saturday (Sept. 18).
Mike Wall is the creator of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018 illustrated by Karl Tate), a reserve about the research for alien daily life. Observe him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Abide by us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.
As one particular high-profile Chinese mission returns to Earth, an additional prepares to raise off.
A Long March 7 rocket topped with the robotic Tianzhou 3 cargo spacecraft has rolled out to its pad at the Wenchang Satellite Start Center in Hainan, Chinese place officers declared on Wednesday (Sept. 15).
Tianzhou 3 is anticipated to launch toward Tianhe (“Harmony of the Heavens”), the core module of China’s new house station, on Monday (Sept. 20) or thereabouts, according to the South China Early morning Post. Tianhe just hosted the 3-human being Shenzhou 12 mission, which lived aboard the 54-foot-prolonged (16.6 meters) module for a few months.
Relevant: The latest news about China’s area program
The Shenzhou 12 spacecraft departed Tianhe on Wednesday (Sept. 15) and is envisioned to land in the Gobi Desert early Friday early morning (Sept. 17).
Tianzhou 3 is the fourth of 11 missions designed to establish China’s three-module place station, which is known as Tiangong (“Heavenly Palace”). The initially of individuals liftoffs, on April 28, lofted Tianhe. The launch of the robotic Tianzhou 2 offer mission followed on Could 29, and Shenzhou 12 got off the ground on June 16.
Tianzhou 3 will carry materials, equipment and propellant to support get Tianhe ready for its subsequent crewed pay a visit to, which is coming up before long. The 3-particular person Shenzhou 13 mission is scheduled to start toward the module in mid-Oct for a six-thirty day period stay. (Exact goal dates are tough to appear by for Chinese missions simply because the nation tends not to announce a lot of particulars of its spaceflight plans in advance.)
All 11 launches will be finish, and Tiangong fully assembled, in 2022, if all goes in accordance to plan.
Shenzhou 12’s landing will be adopted in limited buy by the landing of a different crewed spacecraft. SpaceX’s all-personal Inspiration4 mission, which introduced to Earth orbit on Wednesday night time (Sept. 15), is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida on Saturday (Sept. 18).
Mike Wall is the creator of “Out There” (Grand Central Publishing, 2018 illustrated by Karl Tate), a reserve about the research for alien daily life. Observe him on Twitter @michaeldwall. Abide by us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook.