Rocket carrying Tianzhou-9 cargo spaceship moved to launch pad

The combination of China's Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft and a Long March-7 Y10 carrier rocket was transported vertically to the launch pad at the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

All the facilities and equipment at the launch site are in good condition. Various pre-launch function checks and joint tests will be carried out as planned, and the cargo spacecraft will be launched in the near future at an appropriate time.

Rocket powering space cargo mission

Using kerosene and liquid oxygen as propellants, the Long March-7 rocket is China's new generation of medium-sized launch vehicle, known for its high reliability, enhanced safety and environmentally friendly design. Bundled with 4 boosters, the rocket stands 53.1 meters tall and has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

It has a low-Earth orbit payload capacity of 14 tonnes, which matches the mass requirements for the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft to deliver supplies to the space station, said Wang Xi at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

The rocket series has successfully sent the Tianzhou-1 through to Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft into the predetermined orbit.

To meet the emergency launch requirements of China's crewed spaceflight program, a backup rocket is prepared. "If the space station encounters an urgent situation, this backup rocket can be launched within three months," said Guo Jiarui at the CASC.

The Long March-7 rocket is also capable of dynamically recalculating its optimal flight path, just similar to how modern navigation applications adjust routes based on live traffic. This allows the rocket to continuously update its trajectory based on current position and target orbit, ensuring an orbital insertion accuracy within four seconds.

What's aboard the 'space express'?

Tianzhou-9 is the fourth cargo spacecraft in the application and development phase of China's space station.

It will take about 6.5 tonnes of supply materials, including consumables, propellants and application experimental equipment, to support the in-orbit life and working of China's Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 taikonauts.

Particularly, two sets of domestically developed spacesuits will be launched this time. These brand new spacesuits feature an extended operational lifespan, from three years of 15 spacewalks previously to four years of 20 spacewalks.

Tianzhou-9 will also bring a set of core muscle training device to further upgrade the space station's gym, which will help taikonauts counteract muscle atrophy in microgravity.

Two sets of cutting-edge space science experimental equipment will be carried as well.