China’s cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 separated from the rear docking port of China’s space station core module Tianhe , according to the China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO).
The craft then moved to the front docking port and completed a computer-orchestrated rendezvous and docking at 9:06 a.m., the CMSEO said. It also said the combination of Tianhe and Tianzhou-3 is in good condition, waiting to dock with the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft, the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship and the lab module Wentian.
A total of six space flight missions will be carried out in 2022 to complete the in-orbit construction of China’s space station. A Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will first be launched in May. Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft will be launched in June, with three astronauts in the core module and stationed in orbit for six months. The Wentian lab module will dock with the Tianhe core module in July, and the Mengtian lab module will be docked with the core module in October to complete the in-orbit construction of the space station.
Ultimately, a T-shaped complex will then be formed once the construction of the space station is completed.
A total of six space flight missions will be carried out in 2022 to complete the in-orbit construction of China’s space station, a Chinese space official said at a news conference on Sunday.
A Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 will first be launched in May, said Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, adding that the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft will be launched in June, with three astronauts in the core module and stationed in orbit for six months.
The Mengtian lab module will be docked with the core module in October to complete the in-orbit construction of China’s space station. A T-shaped complex will be formed once the construction of the space station is completed.
The Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft and the Shenzhou-15 manned spacecraft will then follow, taking another three astronauts to stay in orbit for six months.
Source: This news is originally published by Cgtn