Tianzhou 7 robotic spaceship launched

The Tianzhou 7 robotic cargo spaceship, tasked to deliver propellants, science payloads and necessities for the Shenzhou XVII astronauts, was launched on Wednesday night, making it the first spacecraft to visit the Tiangong space station this year.

A Long March 7 rocket carrying the cargo ship blasted off from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province at 10:27 pm, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

After a short flight, the rocket placed Tianzhou 7 into its preset low-Earth orbit and the solar wings on the cargo spaceship unfolded, marking the successful completion of the launch mission, the agency said in a news release.