China’s aerospace engineers have just ticked off another milestone on the road to resupplying the China Space Station. On Sunday, teams from across the Chinese mainland ran a full-scale, day-long trial for the Tianzhou-9 cargo mission, verifying every check, sequence and backup procedure ahead of the real launch.
The integrated exercise kicked off under the unified command of the Beijing Aerospace Control Center. Control hubs including the Wenchang Space Launch Site in Hainan and the Xi’an Satellite Control Center joined various stations across the Chinese mainland, simulating everything from fuel loading and telemetry handoffs to flight trajectories.
By recreating all technical states—from pre-ignition system checks to orbital insertion sequences—the drill put each of Tianzhou-9’s subsystems through its paces. Engineers say the rehearsal was the most extensive simulation to date, second only to the actual launch itself, confirming interface compatibility and cross-system coordination under real-world conditions.
Meanwhile, the China Space Station remains in excellent condition. The Shenzhou-20 astronaut crew, currently in orbit, has also conducted manual remote operation training to practice docking and transfer procedures, ensuring they’ll be ready to welcome Tianzhou-9’s cargo of supplies and experiments.
With launch day on the horizon, eyes will be on the Wenchang pad as China’s next robotic freighter prepares to lift off. For young space enthusiasts, tech innovators and global citizens alike, Tianzhou-9’s journey is another chapter in the new era of orbital logistics—where precision, data and ambition converge to keep humanity’s orbiting frontier well stocked.
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
