In the early morning of the 10th, the mainland successfully sent the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft into space with the Long March 7 carrier rocket, and the curtain opened during the construction phase of the Chinese space station.
This was the first launch of the construction phase of the continental space station and the fourth expedition of the station's cargo transport system.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Tian Dingyu
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Guo Cheng
The summer night is late and the coconut wind is gusting. Inside the Wenchang Space Launch Site, the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft and the Long March 7 carrier rocket are ready to go.
"Tianzhou-4 is the first spacecraft on the mainland to enter the construction stage of the space station, loading a total of more than 200 pieces (sets) of cargo, with a total load of about 6,000 kilograms of uplink materials, and undertaking tasks such as providing material support for Shenzhou 14 astronauts, supporting space station orbit operations, and space science experiments." Dang Rong, deputy chief designer of the cargo spacecraft system of the Fifth Academy of Aerospace Science and Technology Group, said.
"Attention, 30 minutes to prepare!" At 1:26, the password of Wang Yuliang, commander of launch mission 01, rang out at the launch site.
Wenchang Cosmodrome is the only coastal launch site on the mainland, which is subordinate to the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Since 2017, the Tianzhou series of cargo spacecraft have flown from here to space.
“5、4、3、2、1！ Ignition! At 1:56 a.m., with a loud rumbling sound, the Long March 7 carrier rocket lifted the Tianzhou No. 4 cargo spacecraft into the air, drawing a brilliant trajectory in the night sky.
Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Hu Zhixuan
At 1:56 a.m. on May 10, the Long March 7 carrier rocket lifted the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft into the air, and about 10 minutes later, the spacecraft and the rocket successfully separated and entered the predetermined orbit. This was the first launch of the construction phase of the continental space station and the fourth expedition of the station's cargo transport system. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Yang Guanyu
The Long March 7 is a new generation of medium-sized carrier rockets on the mainland. This is the first time that the Long March 7 has been tested and launched within a month.
"This time, the rocket's test and firing cycle is reduced by 4 days compared with the Tianzhou III mission." Shen Dan, deputy director of the Zhengqi Carrier Rocket Model Office of the First President of the Aerospace Science and Technology Group, introduced it.
After about 10 minutes, the spacecraft successfully separated from the rocket and entered the intended orbit. At 2:23, the spacecraft's solar panels began to work smoothly, and the launch was a complete success.
At this point, the curtain on the construction stage of China's space station was officially opened, and the key battle to achieve the "three-step" strategic goal of the mainland's manned space project was launched.
At this moment, the space station Tianhe core module and the Tianzhou-3 combination are flying in space at a height of 400 kilometers, waiting for new members to join.
Source: Xinhua Viewpoint