Tianzhou 9

Tianzhou 9 (Chinese: 天舟九号) is the ninth mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the eighth resupply mission to the Tiangong Space Station. Like previous Tianzhou missions, the spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan, China on a Long March 7 rocket. It carried the heaviest payload ever delivered by a Chinese cargo spacecraft.^[2]

Tianzhou 9

A Tianzhou 3D model
Mission type	Tiangong space station resupply
Operator	China National Space Administration
COSPAR ID	2025-149A
SATCAT no.	64786
Mission duration	30 days, 7 hours and 58 minutes (in progress)
Spacecraft properties
Spacecraft	Tianzhou-9
Spacecraft type	Tianzhou
Manufacturer	China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Launch mass	14,000 kg (31,000 lb)
Payload mass	7,400 kg (16,300 lb)
Dimensions	10.6 m × 3.35 m (34.8 ft × 11.0 ft)
Power	2
Expedition
Space station	Tiangong space station
Start of mission
Launch date	14 July 2025, 21:34 UTC[1]
Rocket	Long March 7
Launch site	Wenchang Satellite Launch Center, LC-201
Contractor	China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology
Orbital parameters
Reference system	Geocentric orbit
Regime	Low Earth orbit
Inclination	41.5°
Docking with Tiangong space station
Docking port	Tianhe aft
Docking date	15 July 2025, 00:52 UTC
Time docked	30 days, 4 hours and 40 minutes (in progress)
Mission patch Shenzhou program ← Shenzhou 20 Shenzhou 21 → Tianzhou program ← Tianzhou 8 Tianzhou 10 →

Mission history

The Tianzhou 9 cargo resupply craft launched on 14 July 2025 at 21:34 UTC, docking with the Tiangong space station some three hours later on 15 July 2025 at 00:52 UTC.^[3] It resupplied the Shenzhou 20 mission, which is expected to return to Earth by November 2025.^[4]

Payload

The craft delivered nearly 6,500 kg of supplies including propellant, over 700 kg of science experiments, crew necessities and two new, improved model spacesuits.^[3][2]

Spacecraft

Main article: Tianzhou (spacecraft)