Astronauts transferring cargo into space station

This screen image captured at Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov 12, 2022 shows the inside view of the core module Tianhe after China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 conducting a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the combination of the space station Tiangong. China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5, delivering supplies for the space station, conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the combination of the space station Tiangong on Saturday, according to the China Manned Space Agency. [Photo/Xinhua]

The fast rendezvous and docking are key to establishing the ability to transport supplies to the space station in an emergency, the manned space agency said.

Bai Mingsheng, chief designer of the Tianzhou family at the China Academy of Space Technology in Beijing, said that to achieve the fast rendezvous and docking, engineers optimized the guidance procedures and orbital maneuvers to shorten the time it took Tianzhou 5 to approach and link with the station.

"The fast-docking ability represents our advances in spacecraft's orbital and position control, guidance, and flight control technologies. It allows us to send fresh supplies and equipment to astronauts and improves our ability to carry out an emergency rescue," he said.

Tianzhou 5 is the fourth cargo ship to have docked with Tiangong, following Tianzhou 2, 3 and 4.

Tianzhou 4, which connected with the space station for six months, undocked from it on Wednesday and will be guided by ground controllers back to Earth in due course, the agency said last week.

According to Bai, starting with Tianzhou 6, new cargo ships will have an improved airtight cabin that can carry more supplies to astronauts.

The Tiangong station currently consists of a core module, two lab modules, a spacecraft used to transport the astronauts as well as the newly arrived cargo ship.

Three crews have lived and worked inside Tiangong, one of the world's largest space-based infrastructures. The Shenzhou XIV crew entered the outpost in June.

The Shenzhou XV crew is scheduled to launch and replace them in the coming weeks.

Saturday's launch marked the 449th flight of the Long March rocket family and the country's 50th space mission this year. More than 60 rocket launches are scheduled for this year.