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China’s Tianzhou 2 cargo ship docks with space station
- The vessel completed the automated rendezvous with the Tianhe module eight hours after blasting off from Hainan island
- The spacecraft carried supplies for a crewed mission expected to be carried out next month
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Wendy Wuin Beijing
The Chinese cargo ship Tianzhou 2 has docked with the Tianhe space station core module, paving the way for a crewed mission.
The crew is expected to travel to the space station next month, and they plan to stay in Tianhe for three months to conduct equipment maintenance and scientific experiments, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Eight hours after lifting off, Tianzhou 2 completed an automated rendezvous and docking manoeuvre with Tianhe on Sunday morning, according to the China Manned Space Agency.
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Tianzhou 2 will remain docked to the station module and will support a three-astronaut mission planned for next month.
It marked a substantial improvement in the docking technique from a previous operation in 2017 when it took about two days for Tianzhou 1’s rendezvous and docking with another spacecraft, according to developers.
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Dang Rong, deputy chief designer for Tianzhou 2, told state media that the cargo spacecraft had been guided by the BeiDou satellite system.
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China’s Tianzhou 2 cargo ship docks with Tianhe space station, paving the way for a crewed mission
China’s Tianzhou 2 cargo ship docks with Tianhe space station, paving the way for a crewed mission
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