China’s Tianzhou-6 cargo craft separates from space station combination

Addis Ababa, January 12, 2024 (FBC) – The Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, tasked with carrying supplies for China’s space station, separated from the station combination at 4:02 p.m. Friday (Beijing Time) and switched to independent flight, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The cargo craft will re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled manner in the future. Most of its components will burn up and be destroyed during the process, while a small amount of debris will fall into designated safe waters in the South Pacific, the CMSA said.

Launched on May 10, 2023, Tianzhou-6 has a loading capacity reaching over 7 tonnes, making itself the world’s largest cargo spacecraft in service.

According to the CMSA, last month, Tianzhou-7, the spacecraft for the country’s next space cargo mission, was transported to the launch site in the southern province of Hainan. Along with its carrier rocket, the cargo craft underwent assembly and testing to gear up for the launch as planned.