Tianzhou 5

Tianzhou 5
	A Tianzhou 3D model
Mission type	Tiangong space station resupply
Operator	CNSA
COSPAR ID	2022-152A
SATCAT no.	54237
Website	www.cnsa.gov.cn
Mission duration	304 days and 10 minutes
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Tianzhou-5
Spacecraft type	Tianzhou
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch mass	13,500 kg (29,800 lb)
Payload mass	6,700 kg (14,800 lb)
Dimensions	10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft)
Power	2
Expedition
Space station	Tiangong space station
Start of mission
Launch date	12 November 2022, 02:03 UTC
Contractor	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
End of mission
Disposal	Deorbited
Decay date	12 September 2023, 02:13 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Inclination	41.5°
Docking with Tiangong space station
Docking port	Tianhe Aft port
Docking date	12 November 2022, 04:10 UTC
Undocking date	5 May 2023, 07:26 UTC
Time docked	174 days, 3 hours and 16 minutes
Docking with Tiangong space station (Relocation)
Docking port	Tianhe Forward port
Docking date	5 June 2023, 19:10 UTC
Undocking date	11 September 2023, 08:46 UTC
Time docked	97 days, 13 hours and 36 minutes
	Tiangong program ← Mengtian module Shenzhou 15 → Tianzhou program ← Tianzhou 4 Tianzhou 6 →

Tianzhou 5 (

Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan, China on a Long March 7 rocket.^[2] It was successfully placed into orbit on 12 November and docked to the Tiangong space station on the same day. The rendezvous and docking process lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes, setting a world record for the fastest rendezvous and docking between a spacecraft and a space station, surpassing Soyuz MS-17's 3 hours and 3 minutes.^[3]

Spacecraft

The

cargo spacecraft has several notable differences with the Tiangong-1 from which it is derived. It has only three segments of solar panels (against 4 for Tiangong), but has 4 maneuvering engines (against 2 for Tiangong).^[4]

Notes

^ Tianzhou-5 was free flying until the departure of Shenzhou-15, and then docked at Tiangong's forward port.

References

^ China Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (September 18, 2022). "The next cargo spacecraft to resupply China Space Station, Tianzhou-5, has arrived at Wenchang for launch on Nov. 06. It also carries a 4U cubesat CAS-10 (XW-4) and will deploy on ~Dec. 15" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^ "Rocket for Tianzhou 5 arrives at launch site". chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
^ "Why China's Tianzhou 5 spacecraft launch is of global significance". SCMP. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
^ Baylor, Michael (20 May 2021). "Tianzhou 2". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

[2] Tianzhou-5 was free flying until the departure of Shenzhou-15, and then docked at Tiangong's forward port.

[1] China Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (September 18, 2022). "The next cargo spacecraft to resupply China Space Station, Tianzhou-5, has arrived at Wenchang for launch on Nov. 06. It also carries a 4U cubesat CAS-10 (XW-4) and will deploy on ~Dec. 15" (Tweet) – via Twitter.

[3] "Rocket for Tianzhou 5 arrives at launch site". chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2022-10-28.

[4] "Why China's Tianzhou 5 spacecraft launch is of global significance". SCMP. Retrieved 30 April 2023.

[NSF20210520-5] Baylor, Michael (20 May 2021). "Tianzhou 2". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 20 May 2021.

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