Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 docked with Tianhe’s front docking port on Wednesday.
Artwork: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab

China’s Tianzhou-3 cargo ship detached on Wednesday from the rear docking port of the country’s space station core module Tianhe. It moved to the module’s front port and completed a computer-orchestrated rendezvous and docking, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

CMSA also reported that the combination of Tianhe and Tianzhou-3 is in good condition.

Now in this configuration, the next step is the upcoming launch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo craft, the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship and the lab module Wentian.

A total of six missions are planned for this year, including the launch of the Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft in May, the Shenzhou-14 manned spacecraft in June, the lab module Wentian in July, and the lab module Mengtian in October.

The three modules will form a T shape to complete the in-orbit construction of China’s space station by the end of 2022.

Short video at: https://youtu.be/2m9alrJZ0ck