"Space Express" is about to be delivered! The cargo list of Tianzhou 6 has been updated →

According to the plan, after the May Day holiday, in early to mid-May, the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft will be launched. This is the first flight mission after the Chinese space station enters the application and development stage. During this May Day holiday, the Shenzhou-15 astronauts and the ground mission team are still preparing for this mission. What does the Tianzhou-6 cargo spacecraft, a cargo spacecraft dedicated to delivering express to the space station, look like? How much cargo will be delivered to the space station this time? Let's find out together↓

Tianzhou-6 carries more cargo and new goods

CCTV reporter Tao Jiashu: The Tianzhou cargo spacecraft is 10.6 meters long and is divided into two parts. The smaller part below is its propulsion cabin, and the larger part above is its cargo cabin. The total weight of the Tianzhou cargo spacecraft is 13.5 tons. Starting from Tianzhou VI, its cargo capacity has increased from 6.9 tons to 7.4 tons, making it one of the world's most powerful cargo spacecraft.

Wang Ran, the chief designer of the cargo spacecraft system of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: Compared with the previous cargo cabin, there was still a part of the unsealed compartment. Now Tianzhou 6 has moved the equipment of the unsealed section to the propulsion cabin. In this way, the transportation space in the sealed cabin has been greatly increased, and the effective loading volume has been increased from 18.1 cubic meters to 22.5 cubic meters, which is equivalent to a 20% increase.

CCTV reporter Tao Jiashu: When the space station is flying in space, it sometimes needs to adjust its posture, which consumes fuel. Therefore, in addition to delivering supplies to astronauts, the cargo spacecraft also has an important mission to replenish propellant for the space station. This time, Tianzhou-6 carried 1.75 tons of propellant, of which about 700 kilograms were for replenishing the space station.

CCTV reporter Tao Jiashu: The food, water, experimental equipment and other supplies needed by the astronauts are all loaded in the cargo hold of the cargo spacecraft and delivered to the space station. The astronauts enter the cargo spacecraft through the docking port between the cargo spacecraft and the space station.

It is reported that the types of materials transported by Tianzhou-6 this time are not much different from those in the past, mainly including clothing, food, drinking water, etc. Among them, the weight of fresh fruits is about 70 kilograms, which is about twice the weight of fruits carried by Tianzhou-5. These fruits will also ensure the food needs of the Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-16 astronaut crews.

Wang Ran, Chief Designer of the Cargo Spacecraft System of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation: In the past, we did not have much experience and did not know how long the fruits sent up could be preserved or eaten. After summarizing the experience of using fresh fruits in orbit over the past six months and a year, we now have the conditions and capabilities to send up more fruits.

In addition to the supplies that astronauts need on a daily basis, the Tianzhou-6 cargo list also includes a set of electric propulsion xenon bottles, which can serve as a backup for the space station's fuel propellant and replenish the working fluid for the electric thrusters used to maintain the space station's orbit and adjust its attitude on a daily basis, effectively saving the space station's propellant consumption.

(CCTV reporter Cui Xia, Li Ning, Tao Jiashu, Wu Tianbai)