China's cargo spacecraft separates from Tiangong-2 space lab
 |
| The Tiangong-2 space lab, file photo. [Photo/CCTV] |
BEIJING - China's first cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-1, separated from Tiangong-2 space lab at 4:15 pm on Sunday.
At 3:29 pm on Sunday, the cargo ship started to separate from the space lab under orders from the ground. After separation, it operated at an orbit of about 400 kilometers above the earth.
Tianzhou-1 will continue to carry out experiments before it leaves orbit, and will gain experience for building and operating a space station.
Tianzhou-1 was launched on April 20 from South China's Hainan province, and it completed automated docking with the orbiting Tiangong-2 space lab on April 22. In the past five months, Tianzhou-1 has operated smoothly and completed various tasks.
Third in-orbit refueling
Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft and Tiangong-2 space lab completed their third and last in-orbit refueling at 8:17 pm Saturday. The third refueling, lasting about three days, confirmed the technical results from the second refueling.
The two spacecraft completed their first in-orbit refueling on April 27 and second on June 15.
- Int'l media speak highly of China's launch of cargo spacecraft
- Cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 1 docks with lab as 5 months of tests begin
- Cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 1 tests internet tech in space
- China's cargo spacecraft completes third in-orbit refueling
- China's cargo spacecraft completes second docking with space lab
- China's cargo spacecraft starts independent operation
- Chinese cargo spacecraft completes automated fast-docking with space lab
- China's Tianguan satellite likely captures black hole devouring white dwarf: study
- Hong Kong's new year fairs bloom with festive spirit
- Battle Beats | When duty calls
- China expects over 2.05 million daily cross-border trips during Spring Festival holiday
- Xinjiang through my eyes: Maierdan's cafe of memory
- Chinese researchers build quantum key distribution chip network covering 3,700 km
