| Tianzhou 7 | |||||||||
| Image Alt: | Tianzhou model | ||||||||
| Mission Type: | Tiangong space station resupply | ||||||||
| Operator: | CNSA | ||||||||
| Spacecraft: | Tianzhou-7 | ||||||||
| Spacecraft Type: | Tianzhou | ||||||||
| Manufacturer: | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ||||||||
| Launch Mass: | 14000kg (31,000lb) | ||||||||
| Payload Mass: | 7400kg (16,300lb) | ||||||||
| Space Station: | Tiangong space station | ||||||||
| Launch Date: | 17 January 2024, 14:27 UTC[1] | ||||||||
| Launch Rocket: | Long March 7 | ||||||||
| Launch Site: | Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, LC-201 | ||||||||
| Launch Contractor: | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology | ||||||||
| Disposal Type: | Deorbited | ||||||||
| Decay Date: | 17 November 2024, 13:25 UTC | ||||||||
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit | ||||||||
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth orbit | ||||||||
| Orbit Inclination: | 41.5° | ||||||||
| Apsis: | gee | ||||||||
| Docking: |
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| Insignia: | Tianzhou 7 Patch.png | ||||||||
| Insignia Caption: | Tianzhou 7 mission patch | ||||||||
| Programme: | Shenzhou program | ||||||||
| Previous Mission: | Shenzhou 17 | ||||||||
| Next Mission: | Shenzhou 18 | ||||||||
| Programme2: | Tianzhou program | ||||||||
| Previous Mission2: | Tianzhou 6 | ||||||||
| Next Mission2: | Tianzhou 8 | ||||||||
Tianzhou 7 was the seventh mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the sixth resupply mission to the Tiangong Space Station. Like previous Tianzhou missions, the spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan, China, on a Long March 7 rocket.
On 20 November 2023, CMSA announced that Tianzhou 7 had completed manufacturing, and was delivered to Wenchang.[2]
On 21 December 2023, Long March 7 Y8, the launch vehicle for this mission, arrived at Wenchang Space Launch Site. It started to conduct stacking and tests with the already arrived Tianzhou 7.[3]
On 17 January 2024 at 14:27 UTC, Long March 7 Y8 successfully lifted off from Wenchang SLS's LC-201, propelling Tianzhou 7 towards the Tiangong Station.[4] The spacecraft docked successfully with Tiangong some three hours later at 17:46 UTC.[5]
Tianzhou 7 undocked from Tiangong on 10 November 2024 at 08:30 UTC. While in free flight, the ship ejected a 6U CubeSat. It was deorbited over the Pacific Ocean on 17 November, beginning to burn up as it reentered the atmosphere at 13:25 UTC near Vanuatu.[6]
See main article: Tianzhou (spacecraft).