| Tianzhou 5 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Image Alt: | Tianzhou 1 model | ||||||||||||||||||
| Mission Type: | Tiangong space station resupply | ||||||||||||||||||
| Operator: | CNSA | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spacecraft: | Tianzhou-5 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Spacecraft Type: | Tianzhou | ||||||||||||||||||
| Manufacturer: | China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Mass: | 13500kg (29,800lb) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Payload Mass: | 6700kg (14,800lb) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Power: | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Space Station: | Tiangong space station | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Date: | 12 November 2022, 02:03 UTC[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Rocket: | Long March 7 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Site: | Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, LC-2 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Launch Contractor: | China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology | ||||||||||||||||||
| Disposal Type: | Deorbited | ||||||||||||||||||
| Decay Date: | 12 September 2023, 02:13 UTC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Reference: | Geocentric orbit | ||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Regime: | Low Earth orbit | ||||||||||||||||||
| Orbit Inclination: | 41.5° | ||||||||||||||||||
| Apsis: | gee | ||||||||||||||||||
| Docking: |
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| Programme: | Tiangong program | ||||||||||||||||||
| Previous Mission: | Mengtian module | ||||||||||||||||||
| Next Mission: | Shenzhou 15 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Programme2: | Tianzhou program | ||||||||||||||||||
| Previous Mission2: | Tianzhou 4 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Next Mission2: | Tianzhou 6 | ||||||||||||||||||
Tianzhou 5 was the fifth mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the fourth 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.[2] It was successfully placed into orbit on 12 November and docked to the Tiangong space station on the same day. The rendezvous and docking process lasted 2 hours and 7 minutes, setting a world record for the fastest rendezvous and docking between a spacecraft and a space station, surpassing Soyuz MS-17's 3 hours and 3 minutes.[3]
See main article: Tianzhou (spacecraft). The Tianzhou cargo spacecraft has several notable differences with the Tiangong-1 from which it is derived. It has only three segments of solar panels (against 4 for Tiangong), but has 4 maneuvering engines (against 2 for Tiangong).[4]