Tianzhou-1, China's first cargo spacecraft, is ready for launch, announced the Hainan-based Wenchang Space Launch Center on Tuesday.
The center carried out final preparations on Tuesday including the most comprehensive checks, covering all systems involved in the launch, such as the rocket, spacecraft, launching site and testing, control and communications systems.
The checks showed all systems to be working well and that technical conditions are good, so Tianzhou-1 is all set for launch, an official statement said according to the results of the final testing phase.
Vertical transportation of Long March-7 Y2. /Photo by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Tianzhou-1 will be launched into space between April 20 and 24, and is expected to dock with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab and conduct in-orbit refueling.
For the first time ever, a space-based communication system, which will establish a communication network between the spacecraft and the operating center depending on tracking and data relay satellite system, will be applied during the orbiting of Tianzhou-1.
The cargo spacecraft will also carry out experiments, including one on non-Newtonian gravitation, before falling back to Earth.
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