Update: China's Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft separates from space station combination

This simulated image captured at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center on Nov. 12, 2022 shows China's cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-5 having conducted a fast automated rendezvous and docking with the combination of the space station Tiangong. (Photo by Sun Fengxiao/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- After completing all assigned tasks, the Tianzhou-5 cargo spacecraft separated from the space station combination at 4:46 p.m. Monday (Beijing Time) and switched to independent flight, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

The cargo craft will re-enter the atmosphere under control on Tuesday. Most of its components will be burned up and destroyed during the process, while a small amount of debris will fall into designated safe waters in the South Pacific, the CMSA said.

Tianzhou-5 was launched into orbit on Nov. 12, 2022 from the Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in the southern island province of Hainan.

The cargo craft delivered supplies for the three astronauts of the Shenzhou-15 mission to stay in orbit for six months. It also sent propellant and experiment facilities, including the Macao Student Science Satellite 1, space hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells, and space high-energy particle detection payloads.

During its orbital flight, it separated from the space station combination on May 5, re-docked with the space station after a 33-day independent flight, and continued to carry out space technology experiments. ■