The Tianzhou (Chinese: 天舟; pinyin: Tiān Zhōu; lit. 'Heavenly Ship') is a Chinese automated cargo spacecraft developed from China's first prototype space station Tiangong-1 to resupply its modular space station. It was first launched (Tianzhou 1) on the Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang on April 20, 2017^[2] and demonstrated autonomous propellant transfer (space refueling).^[3][4]

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Tianzhou

Tianzhou 2 cargo spacecraft prior to launch
Manufacturer	CASC
Country of origin	China
Operator	CMSA
Applications	Tiangong Space Station resupply
Specifications
Spacecraft type	Automated cargo spacecraft
Launch mass	13,500 kg (29,800 lb) (basic); 14,000 kg (31,000 lb) (improved)
Payload capacity	6,900 kg (15,200 lb) (basic); 7,400 kg (16,300 lb) (improved)
Dimensions	10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft)
Volume	40 m3 (1,400 cu ft)[1]
Production
Status	Active
On order	1
Built	8
Launched	7
Operational	1
Maiden launch	Tianzhou 1
Last launch	Tianzhou 7
Related spacecraft
Derived from	Tiangong-1

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The first version of Tianzhou has a mass of 13,500 kg and can carry 6,500 kg of cargo. Tianzhou-6 is the first improved version of the spacecraft to be launched into orbit; it has a mass of about 14,000 kg and can transport 7,400 kg of cargo.^[5]

Based on the Tiangong-1 space station, the Tianzhou functions as the main automated cargo spacecraft for the Tiangong space station. It has pressurized, semi-pressurized and unpressurized cargo capabilities, and is able to transport airtight cargo, large extravehicular payloads and experiment platforms. It was first launched on the new Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang on April 20, 2017.^[3][6]

The China Manned Space Engineering Office opened a consultation for the naming of the prospective cargo ship on April 25, 2011. By May 20, it had received more than 50,000 suggestions.^[7] On July 8, Yang Liwei, China's first astronaut and deputy director of the Chinese Academy of Sciences revealed that they had a short list of ten names.^[8] On October 31, 2013, it was revealed that the spacecraft had been named Tianzhou (Chinese: 天舟; pinyin: Tiān Zhōu; lit. 'Heavenly Boat'), combining the Chinese names of the Tiangong (Chinese: 天宫; pinyin: Tiān Gōng) space stations and the Shenzhou (Chinese: 神舟; pinyin: Shén Zhōu) spacecraft. They also stated that they would use the two letter identification TZ.^[9]

• Comparison of space station cargo vehicles
  • Progress spacecraft – an expendable cargo vehicle currently in use by the Russian Federal Space Agency
  • Automated Transfer Vehicle – a retired expendable cargo vehicle used by the ESA
  • Cygnus spacecraft – an expendable cargo vehicle developed by Northrop Grumman under American CRS program, currently in use.
  • H-II Transfer Vehicle – an expendable cargo vehicle currently in use by JAXA
  • Dream Chaser Cargo System - a cargo variant of the reusable SNC's spaceplane with Shooting Star module.
  • Dragon cargo spacecraft - a reusable cargo vehicle developed by SpaceX, under American CRS program, currently in use.