China plans to launch the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in early 2024, according to China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) on Sunday.
The agency announced that Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft is out of the factory and has been transported to its launch site in south China's Hainan Province. The follow-up work such as the final assembly and testing will be carried out as planned. In October, China sent three Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, aboard the Shenzhou-17 manned spacecraft to the China Space Station and has the Shenzhou-16 crew returned to Earth.
CGTN infographic by Yu Peng
The country scheduled four missions in 2024 to China Space Station which started its official operation in the end of 2022, including two cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-7 and Tianzhou-8 and two manned missions Shenzhou-18 and Shenzhou-19.
The CMSA also unveiled the four mission logos.
China's space station has entered a phase of application and development that will span more than 10 years, during which a two manned spacecraft and one or two cargo spacecrafts will be launched each year, the CMSA said in a previous report.
A schematic of the basic three-module structure of the China Space Station. /CMSA
The logo of the cargo craft Tianzhou-7, one of China's four space station missions in 2024. /CMSA
The logo of the cargo craft Tianzhou-8, one of China's four space station missions in 2024. /CMSA
The logo of the Shenzhou-18 manned mission, one of China's four space station missions in 2024. /CMSA
The logo of the Shenzhou-19 manned mission, one of China's four space station missions in 2024. /CMSA