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China's spacecraft Tianzhou-3 docks with Tianhe's front docking port
Updated 16:19, 20-Apr-2022
CGTN
Tianzhou-3 separated from the rear docking port of China's space station core module Tianhe at 5:02 a.m. on April 20, 2022. /CMG

Tianzhou-3 separated from the rear docking port of China's space station core module Tianhe at 5:02 a.m. on April 20, 2022. /CMG

China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 separated from the rear docking port of China's space station core module Tianhe at 5:02 a.m. on Wednesday, 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.

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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. The Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft will be launched in June, with three astronauts in the core module to be 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.

In addition, the country plans to launch its first large Chinese Space Station Telescope (CSST), or Xuntian, meaning "survey to heavens," in 2022.

Read More:

Timetable for China's space station construction 2022: 6 more missions

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