Cargo spacecraft "Tianzhou-1" (TZ 1)

China

Spacecraft nº:

Chinese spacecraft nº: 333

Launch, orbit & landing data:

Designation	42684 / 17021A
Launch date - time	20 Apr 2017 - 11:41 UT
Launch site	Wenchang, LC201
Launch vehicle	CZ-7
Type	Cargo
Mass (kg)	12910 kg
Total cargo mass (kg)
Earth orbit on :
- Perigee / Apogee	311 x 369 km
- Eccentricity
- Inclination	42.8°
- Period	min

Docking date - time	22 Apr 2017 - 04:16 UT
Target spacecraft/port	Tiangong-2
Docking orbit:
- Perigee / Apogee	200 x 448 km
- Eccentricity
- Inclination	44.2°
- Period	90.9 min
Undocking date - time
Deorbit burn date - time
Destroyed date - time	22 Sept 2017
Flight Duration (dd:hh:min)
Nbr orbits

Description:

Prime manufacturer
Operator
Mass at launch	kg
Dry Mass	kg
Basic shape	Cyl+beehive+spheroid+2 panels
Dimension (m)	long, max dia, dia
Equipment
Solar array	2 panels span
Stabilization
Propulsion

Credit; #411a

Description:

TIANZHOU-1 is a Chinese mission on a mission is to conduct the on-orbit refueling of the Tiangong-2 space station. During this mission, the new vehicle will make three rendezvous attempts with Tiangong-2. Combined operations with the Tiangong-2 / Tianzhou-1 orbital complex will take place over two months. At the end of this period, Tianzhou-1 will separate from Tiangong-2 and will initiate an autonomous orbital mission for three months to carry out experiments and tests during that period of time. At the end of the mission, Tianzhou-1 will make an automatic destructive reentry into Earth′s atmosphere.

Mission details:

Tianzhou-1 on final approach to TG-2 - Photo: CCTV4

China′s first space station cargo resupply ship was launched on Apr 20, 2017.
Tianzhou-1 has a mass of 12910 kg. It flew on the second Chang Zheng 7 rocket, launched from Wenchang space centre on Hainan island. Tianzhou-1 will rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong-2 space lab, currently unoccupied. This mission is mainly for technology development; the Tianzhou frieghters will be user operationally to resupply China′s future large space station.
Tianzhou 1 was inserted into a 198 x 372 km x 42.8 deg initial orbit, which was then raised to 311 x 369 km. The second stage ejected the usual four motor separation covers into 200 x 550 km orbits.
The Tianzhou cargo ship docked with the Tiangong-2 lab at 0416 UTC Apr 22, 2017. It carried out a refuelling test on Apr 27; another is expected in late June.
On Aug 1, 2017 the Tianzhou-1 ejected the Silu-1 (Silk Road 1) 3U cubesat, buit by SpaceStarTech/Beijing for the Xian Survey Bureau.
Tiangong-2 spacelab was used for a single human expedition in 2016 (Shenzhou 11); China has announced that no further visits were planned. Since Shenzhou 11 left in Nov 2016, TG-2 has made small reboost manuevers on 2017 Mar 5, Apr 5-6, May 13, Jun 17-20, Sep 17, and Nov 4.
The Tianzhou-1 freighter docked with it several times between Apr and Sep 2017 and transferred an unknown amount of propellant. The freighter carried about 2000 kg of propellant in eight 250 kg tanks, half of which were for its own maneuevers. Each of the three propellant transfer exercises were carried out involved one tank′s worth.
On 2018 Jun 13 at around 0645 and 0735 UTC the lab made a two-impulse manuever to lower its orbit from 388 x 391 km to 293 x 299 km. It seemed as if this might be a precursor to a deorbit burn, but on Jun 22 at about 0117 and 0202 UTC a second two-impulse manuever restored the orbit to 390 x 399 km. The full sequence used about 330 kg of propellant.

External links:

Sinodefence.com: Capsule Information
Wikipedia: Tianzhou-1 description

Astrophilately covers:

Tianzhou 1 launch. Credit: #411a

Tianzhou 1 launch. Credit: #411

Ref.: #3(SD539), #7(JR737,738,740,751), #110, #228, #233, #411a - update: 15.09.25

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