Tianzhou 5

Tianzhou 5 (Chinese: 天舟五号) was the fifth mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the fourth resupply mission to the Tiangong Space Station. Like previous Tianzhou missions, the spacecraft was launched from the 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]

Launch of Tianzhou 5
Tianzhou 5
Tianzhou 1 model
A Tianzhou 3D model
Mission typeTiangong space station resupply
OperatorCNSA
COSPAR ID2022-152A
SATCAT no.54237Edit this on Wikidata
Websitewww.cnsa.gov.cn
Mission duration304 days and 10 minutes
Spacecraft properties
SpacecraftTianzhou-5
Spacecraft typeTianzhou
ManufacturerChina Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch mass13,500 kg (29,800 lb)
Payload mass6,700 kg (14,800 lb)
Dimensions10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft)
Power2
Expedition
Space stationTiangong space station
Start of mission
Launch date12 November 2022, 02:03 UTC[1]
RocketLong March 7
Launch siteWenchang Satellite Launch Center, LC-2
ContractorChina Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
End of mission
DisposalDeorbited
Decay date12 September 2023, 02:13 UTC
Orbital parameters
Reference systemGeocentric orbit
RegimeLow Earth orbit
Inclination41.5°
Docking with Tiangong space station
Docking portTianhe Aft port
Docking date12 November 2022, 04:10 UTC
Undocking date5 May 2023, 07:26 UTC
Time docked174 days, 3 hours and 16 minutes
Docking with Tiangong space station (Relocation)
Docking portTianhe Forward port[lower-alpha 1]
Docking date5 June 2023, 19:10 UTC
Undocking date11 September 2023, 08:46 UTC
Time docked97 days, 13 hours and 36 minutes
 

Spacecraft
Main article: Tianzhou (spacecraft)

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

References
  1. China Spaceflight [@CNSpaceflight] (18 September 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.
  2. "Rocket for Tianzhou 5 arrives at launch site". chinadailyhk. Retrieved 2022-10-28.
  3. "Why China's Tianzhou 5 spacecraft launch is of global significance". SCMP. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  4. Baylor, Michael (20 May 2021). "Tianzhou 2". Next Spaceflight. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
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