China News Service, Beijing, May 29 (Guo Chaokai) On May 29, China successfully launched the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft at the Wenchang Space Launch Site.

After a month of waiting in orbit, the space station Tianhe core module will soon welcome the visit of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft to receive the first space supply.

What supplies will the "Space Courier" Tianzhou II bring to the core module of Tianhe this time?

　　The primary task of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is to load materials and replenish propellant for the Chinese space station.

In terms of "body", compared with the tall and big sky and core cabin, the cargo spacecraft is short and powerful.

The total weight of the materials on the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft is as high as 6.8 tons, including more than 160 large and small packages and 2 tons of propellant, accounting for more than half of the weight of the entire cargo ship, with a cargo ratio of more than 50%. International leading level.

The picture shows the launch site.

Photo by Luo Yunfei

　　In the future, the Chinese astronauts carrying the Shenzhou manned spacecraft to the space station’s sky and core modules will live in this "space house" for several months to six months. Therefore, they must prepare a variety of materials in advance to facilitate them in the space. "Clothing, food, shelter, transportation" and work in space.

And the "express" sent by Tianzhou-2 this time contained all kinds of daily necessities.

　　As the saying goes, "Food is the heaven for the people."

The food on the space station can be described as a must-see in space, making people salivate from the sky.

The space food carried by the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft has many traditional Chinese dishes, with obvious Chinese characteristics.

The food is not only divided into main and side dishes, but also pays attention to the combination of meat and vegetables, but also has a unique flavor. Even the well-known dishes such as fish-flavored pork shreds and Kung Pao chicken also appear on the astronaut’s food list.

　　Xie Yongchun, director of the Science and Technology Committee of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that in addition to daily necessities, Tianzhou-2 also brought propellant.

During the docking, Tianzhou-2 will refuel the Tianhe core cabin.

　　In addition, Tianzhou 2 also brought experimental equipment, experimental materials and other materials; after the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft sent the astronauts to the Tianhe core module, the astronauts would take them out and install them in orbit.

It is worth mentioning that there are two special "babies" among these cargoes-astronaut outer suits.

Each of these two sets of astronauts' extravehicular suits weighs more than 100 kilograms. They are necessary materials for astronauts to perform extravehicular missions after they arrive at the core capsule.

　　After the Shenzhou 12 spacecraft returns, Tianzhou 2 will perform "acrobatics" in space-separated from the docking interface at the tail of the core module, and autonomously maneuver to the core module node module axial docking interface to further verify the key technology .

　　"Ten thousand pieces of cargo, safety first." In the face of so many cargo and such complicated handling tasks, how will the space station manage it?

　　According to Yang Sheng, the chief designer of the Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the China Space Station also applies ground-based logistics technology. Drawing on the advanced management technology of domestic logistics, astronauts can scan the QR code to facilitate The location information and product information of the cargo can be obtained. At the same time, the system can also dynamically control the inventory quantity of the product information, so that the changes of the space station cargo can be recorded, thereby ensuring that the work and life of the astronauts are easier and more convenient.

　　With the launch of the "Space Courier" Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft, the construction of the Chinese space station in orbit is progressing steadily.

Now that the cargo is about to arrive, the following days and the core module will wait for the arrival of the space villa "residents"-astronauts.

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