Overview
Tianzhou ("Heavenly Vessel") is China's automated cargo transfer vehicle, designed to resupply the Tiangong space station. With a cargo capacity of 6,500 kg, it is one of the most capable cargo vehicles currently in service — comparable to SpaceX's Cargo Dragon. Tianzhou launches on a Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang Space Launch Centre on Hainan Island.
Like Progress, Tianzhou is expendable and burns up on re-entry. It provides orbital reboost for Tiangong and delivers propellant, food, water, equipment and experiments. China typically launches 1–2 Tianzhou missions per year to maintain its permanent crewed presence.
Key Specifications
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | CAST |
| Type | Uncrewed cargo |
| Total Cargo | 6,500 kg |
| Length | 10.6 m |
| Diameter | 3.35 m |
| Mass | ~13,500 kg (loaded) |
| Launch Vehicle | Long March 7 |
| Launch Site | Wenchang SLC |
| Docking | Automated |
| Return Cargo | None — destructive re-entry |
| Reusability | No |
Mission History
| Mission | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tianzhou-1 | Apr 2017 | Test flight to Tiangong-2 lab |
| Tianzhou-2 | May 2021 | First CSS resupply; docked to Tianhe |
| Tianzhou-3 | Sep 2021 | Supplies for Shenzhou-13 crew |
| Tianzhou-4 | May 2022 | Supplies for Shenzhou-14 crew |
| Tianzhou-5 | Nov 2022 | Supplies for station completion phase |
| Tianzhou-6 | May 2023 | Improved cargo capacity variant |
| Tianzhou-7+ | 2024– | Regular CSS resupply missions |
Frequently Asked Questions
6,500 kg — comparable to Cargo Dragon (6,000 kg) and significantly more than Progress (2,400 kg).
No. Like Progress, Tianzhou burns up on re-entry. Only Cargo Dragon among active cargo vehicles can return payloads.
Wenchang Space Launch Centre on Hainan Island — China's newest spaceport, optimised for heavy-lift launches.