China launches cargo craft for space station supplies

The Long March-7 Y4 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-3, blasts off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province, Sept. 20, 2021. China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 on Monday to deliver supplies for its under-construction space station. (Xinhua/Yang Guanyu)

China launched cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-3 on Monday to deliver supplies for its under-construction space station.

The Long March-7 Y4 rocket, carrying Tianzhou-3, blasted off from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

Tianzhou-3 will dock with the combination of the space station core module Tianhe and Tianzhou-2 cargo craft later, said the CMSA.

On Sept. 18, the Tianzhou-2 cargo craft separated from the rear docking port of Tianhe and docked with its front docking port. The CMSA said that the combination of Tianhe and Tianzhou-2 is in good condition, waiting for docking with the Tianzhou-3 cargo craft and the Shenzhou-13 manned spaceship.