Rocket carrying China's Tianzhou-7 cargo ship transported to launchpad

A Long March-7 rocket carrying China's Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft has been vertically transported to its launchpad at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) said on Monday.

The launch system is in good condition and will go through final checking and tests, CMSA said, adding that the cargo ship will launch in the coming days.

"The reliability of the carrier rocket has been improved, in areas such as in its control system and engines. This is a continuous process," said Shao Yetao, chief designer of Long March 7 Carrier Rocket from China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. "We have greater confidence to the missions and are expecting the success of this mission."

The cargo ship is by far the most powerful in the world, with a carrying capacity exceeding seven tonnes. 

"I participated in the Tianzhou-1 mission back in 2017. As an expert in space science experiments, we have returned here with other teams to conduct research on how the zero-gravity affects life. We aim to have further exploration," said the professor from Northwestern Polytechnical University.

Improved cargo capacity

Previously, before each crewed mission, a cargo ship would be launched first for supplies preparation, while this time, the Tianzhou-7 cargo ship will deliver supplies for both the in-orbit Shenzhou-17 crew and the subsequent Shenzhou-18 crew.

The country has also adjusted its launch of cargo spacecraft from two flights in one year to three in two years.

"One improvement in our cargo ship is that it is upgraded from the original standard version to an improved one, which has increased the loading space and weight by more than 20 percent, meaning more goods can be transported at a time than before," Yang Sheng, researcher at China Academy of Space Technology, told China Media Group (CMG).

China's manned space program has also established an integrated material information system between the space station and the ground crew, which can achieve accurate replenishment.

Also, the exquisite and scientific design of the large equipment operating in the space station has enabled less urgent need for spare parts, and the in-orbit regenerative life support system is fully operational, which can achieve 100-percent oxygen regeneration and 95-percent water regeneration, greatly reducing the payload amount that needs to be delivered, said Yin Rui, deputy commander of the taikonaut system.

90 kg fruit, festival gifts to go

The cargo onboard the Tianzhou-7 spacecraft mainly includes living supplies, clothing and food for taikonauts.

Among it are nearly 90 kilograms of fresh fruit, 30 kilograms more compared to that taken by Tianzhou-6.

Besides, Tianzhou-7 is carrying spare parts and maintenance parts for space station equipment, scientific experiment payloads and propellant.

"The quantity and weight of fresh fruit to be delivered this time have been further increased, which can improve the quality of taikonauts' life in orbit," Yang told CMG.

Yang said the increasing fruit will not require reducing other materials, thanks to the improved carrying capacity of the cargo ship.

In addition to the daily necessities, the gift packages of festivals, especially the Spring Festival, have been prepared for the taikonauts, as well as the gifts for the handover between the Shenzhou-17 and Shenzhou-18 crews in the space station.

CGTN's Geng Xiuhui and Liu Wei also contributed to the story.