ChinaZhōngguó中国successfullychénggōng成功to launchfāshè发射new type / next-generationxīn xíng新型cargo spacecrafthuòyùn fēichuán货运飞船Qingzhou (spacecraft name)Qīngzhōu青舟prototypeyuánxíng原型verification prototypeyànzhèng jī验证机。
March 30, 2026 at 8:00 PM
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China & WorldChina Successfully Launches Qingzhou Cargo Spacecraft Prototype
China successfully launched a prototype of its new Qingzhou cargo spacecraft on March 30, marking a key step in developing a low-cost resupply vessel for the Tiangong space station. The prototype weighs about 4,200 kilograms and carries 27 scientific experiment payloads with a planned orbital lifetime of three years.
China successfully launched a prototype verification spacecraft named Qingzhou on March 30. This cargo spacecraft prototype was launched using the Kinetica-2 launch vehicle, marking the rocket's maiden flight.
The rocket launched smoothly from Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center's commercial spaceflight innovation test zone.
The Qingzhou spacecraft was developed by the Microsatellite Innovation Research Institute under China's crewed spaceflight program.
The verification prototype weighs approximately 4,200 kilograms and carries 27 scientific experiment payloads with a total weight of about 1,020 kilograms.
Qingzhou is positioned as a lighter, lower-cost resupply transport option compared to the existing Tianzhou cargo spacecraft.
The verification prototype has a designed in-orbit service lifetime of three years, with the full production version Qingzhou-1 expected to launch within approximately one year.
This launch is an important step in China's ongoing effort to improve logistics and resupply capabilities for the Tiangong space station.
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