By 
May 12th, 2023
Image credit: CCTV/CMSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Shenzhou-15 astronauts have entered the recently docked Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft to begin unloading goods and equipment that will enhance the country’s Tiangong space station program.
Fei Junlong, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu began unpacking the supply craft on Friday.
The coupling of the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft with the station signals an “integrated flight phase.”
Image credit: CCTV/CNSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China Central Television (CCTV) reports that the Tianzhou-6 hauled over 7 tons of goods, including around 5.8 tons of daily supplies for the six crew members of the upcoming Shenzhou-16 and Shenzhou-17 missions, and 1.75 tons of propellant, of which 700 kg is to refuel the space station.
Loading volume
“The configuration layout of Tianzhou-6 has been optimized, which expanded the loading volume by about 20 percent compared to Tianzhou-5,” said Feng Yong, chief commander of Tianzhou cargo spacecraft.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“After Tianzhou-6 forms a combination with the space station, for its long-term operations, it will continue to provide orbit control and attitude control support for the space station, as well as provide technical verification of new measurement technologies for the rendezvous and docking of the following manned missions,” Feng told CCTV.
International astronauts
Chen Jie, director of the Integrated Planning Department under the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) added: “We need to further reduce costs and improve capabilities, for which we will develop a new generation of reusable manned round-trip transportation systems.”
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Chen said that, according to the new mission plan, “the space station will operate for more than ten years. We will implement one or two cargo resupply missions each year, two manned missions and an astronaut in-orbit rotation, and we will also train international astronauts to participate in our joint flights.”
Stem cell research
Supplies on-board Tianzhou-6 include stem cell experimental units, which were loaded on the cargo craft five hours before the launch due to its specific requirements for time and temperature. They will be quickly moved to a biotechnology experiment cabinet inside the station’s Wentian lab module.
Tianzhou-6 also carried clothes, drinking water and food — including over 150 pounds (70 kilograms) of fresh fruits for the crew.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Move that refrigerator
“Next, we plan to send a large refrigerator to the space station, to ensure the supply of not only fruits but also some frozen food for the astronauts. For example, if they wish to have fried steak in the space station in the future, we will freeze the beef on the ground and deliver it to the space station,” said Wang Ran, chief designer of the cargo spacecraft system under the China Academy of Space Technology. “We will bolster our ability gradually in the future to ensure a better life for the astronauts.”
Go to these new videos focused on the newly arrived supply ship at:
Posted in Space News
