On CNSA –China National Space Administration The Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft has been Tianzhou-9 successfully evacuates from Chinese space station] At 16:34 Beijing time on May 6, 2026, the Tianzhou-9 cargo spacecraft successfully evacuated the space station module and entered its independent flight phase. It will undergo controlled re-entry into the atmosphere in the near future. A small amount of debris remaining after ablation during re-entry will fall into a designated safe sea area.
I. Key Milestones of the Event
At 16:34 Beijing time on May 6, 2026, Tianzhou-9 successfully evacuated the Chinese space station assembly and entered the independent flight phase to prepare for re-entry into the atmosphere .@People’s Daily720- During the controlled reentry process,
the spacecraft adjusted its orbit by braking and decelerating twice, descending from an altitude of 400 kilometers to an elliptical orbit below the perigee of 70 kilometers. During reentry, most of the components were burned up due to aerodynamic friction, and the remaining parts fell precisely into the uninhabited waters of the South Pacific Ocean (“spacecraft graveyard”). The entire process was precisely controlled by the Chinese ground flight control team
II. Task Review and Breakthrough
- Duration in orbit and logistical support
- Tianzhou-9 was launched on July 15, 2025, and operated in orbit for 286 days, setting a new record for the longest stay of a Chinese cargo spacecraft.
- Carrying approximately 6.5 tons of supplies, including astronaut consumables, propellant, 26 scientific experimental devices, and two new “flying spacesuits” (with a design life increased to 4 years and 20 uses), it supported the long-term stay missions of the Shenzhou-20 and Shenzhou-21 crews.@Science and Technology Power
- Technological innovation
- As the first cargo spacecraft with a “3-month emergency launch” backup capability, it achieves an efficient “one launch, one backup” mission mode.
- Equipped with the world’s first space-based dual-comb ranging device, it achieves micron-level precision measurement, laying the technological foundation for the on-orbit assembly of future space telescopes.
Images and visuals are from their Respectives CMS China Manned SpaceCNSA-China National Space Administration