# Tianzhou 3

> Tianzhou 3 is a unmaned cargo spacecraft created by China.

**Wikidata**: [Q107348304](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q107348304)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tianzhou_3)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tianzhou-3

## Summary
Tianzhou 3 is an uncrewed Chinese cargo spacecraft of the Tianzhou class that was launched on 2021-09-20 to rendezvous and dock with the Tiangong space station (Tianhe module). It was operated by the China National Space Administration, launched by a Long March 7 rocket from Wenchang, and re-entered the atmosphere on 2022-07-27.

## Key Facts
- Tianzhou 3 is an uncrewed cargo spacecraft and an instance of the Tianzhou class (country: People's Republic of China).  
- Launch date (UTC): 2021-09-20 at 07:10:11 (COSPAR ID: 2021-085A).  
- Launch site: Wenchang Satellite Launch Center (launch point_in_time: 2021-09-20).  
- Launch vehicle: Long March 7 (qualifier time: 07:10:11 on 2021-09-20).  
- Operator: China National Space Administration (CNSA).  
- Manufacturer: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).  
- Destination: Tianhe (module of the Tiangong space station); satellite operating regime: low Earth orbit.  
- Spacecraft catalog number (SCN): 49222.  
- Mission duration (recorded property): 446,180 minutes.  
- Deorbited / time of orbit decay: 2022-07-27 (qualifier time: 03:31).  
- Preceded by: Tianzhou 2; Followed by: Tianzhou 4.  
- Aliases: 天舟三號, 천주 3호, 天舟 3號.  
- Significant recorded events: rocket launch from Wenchang (2021-09-20 07:10:11), multiple docking/berthing periods with the Tiangong space station (Tianhe), and atmospheric entry on 2022-07-27.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Tianzhou 3?
A: Tianzhou 3 is an uncrewed Chinese cargo spacecraft of the Tianzhou class that carried supplies and logistics to the Tiangong space station’s Tianhe module. It was operated by the China National Space Administration.

### Q: When and how was Tianzhou 3 launched?
A: Tianzhou 3 was launched on 2021-09-20 at 07:10:11 (UTC) from Wenchang Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 7 rocket. Its COSPAR ID is 2021-085A.

### Q: What happened to Tianzhou 3 after its mission?
A: Tianzhou 3 performed docking and berthing operations with the Tiangong space station (Tianhe) over multiple periods and re-entered the atmosphere (orbit decay) on 2022-07-27 at 03:31 (UTC).

### Q: Who built and operated Tianzhou 3?
A: The spacecraft was manufactured by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) and operated by the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

### Q: How does Tianzhou 3 relate to other Tianzhou spacecraft?
A: Tianzhou 3 followed Tianzhou 2 in the Tianzhou series and was succeeded by Tianzhou 4.

## Why It Matters
Tianzhou 3 is a key logistics element in China's growing orbital infrastructure. As an uncrewed cargo vehicle of the Tianzhou class, it supported the Tiangong space station program by delivering supplies and enabling sustained operations of the Tianhe core module. Its successful launch from Wenchang on a Long March 7 and multiple docking/berthing operations with Tiangong demonstrate operational capability in orbital rendezvous, station resupply, and spacecraft servicing. The mission lifecycle — from launch, through controlled docking/berthing phases, to planned atmospheric re-entry — reflects the maturation of China's automated cargo-transport systems and contributes to the operational continuity of a permanent crewed station in low Earth orbit. For researchers, mission planners, and space-traffic analysts, Tianzhou 3 provides a data point on launch cadence, on-orbit logistics capability, and mission operations for non-crewed resupply vehicles.

## Notable For
- Launch and delivery mission to the Tianhe module of the Tiangong space station (launched 2021-09-20).  
- Multiple recorded docking and berthing periods with the Tiangong space station (including distinct backward- and forward-oriented berthings).  
- Operated by CNSA and manufactured by CASC, launched on a Long March 7 from Wenchang.  
- Official COSPAR ID 2021-085A and spacecraft catalog number 49222.  
- Completed mission life and atmospheric entry recorded on 2022-07-27.

## Body

### Overview
- Type: Uncrewed cargo spacecraft.  
- Class/Instance: Tianzhou class (instance_of: Tianzhou).  
- Country: People's Republic of China.  
- Operator: China National Space Administration (CNSA).  
- Manufacturer: China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

### Launch details
- Launch date and time (UTC): 2021-09-20 at 07:10:11.  
- Launch vehicle: Long March 7 (LM-7), launch qualifier time recorded as 07:10:11 on 2021-09-20.  
- Launch site: Wenchang Satellite Launch Center (point_in_time: 2021-09-20).  
- COSPAR ID: 2021-085A.  
- Spacecraft catalog number (SCN): 49222.

### Mission timeline and significant events
- Rocket launch: recorded as occurring at Wenchang Satellite Launch Center on 2021-09-20 at 07:10:11.  
- Docking and berthing (first recorded period): began 2021-09-20 with the Tiangong space station (Tianhe); a recorded docking/berthing event with qualifiers indicating a backwards orientation, a recorded duration property of 304,254 minutes, and times noted between 2021-09-20 and 2022-04-19.  
- Docking and berthing (second recorded period): begins 2022-04-20 and ends 2022-07-17 with a forwards orientation and a recorded duration of 126,833 minutes; a noted time qualifier of 01:06.  
- Atmospheric entry / orbit decay: recorded on 2022-07-27 at 03:31 (UTC).

### Orbit and destination
- Operating regime: low Earth orbit (satellite_of: low Earth orbit).  
- Primary destination: Tianhe module of the Tiangong space station (destination_point: Tianhe).

### Mission sequence context
- Preceded by Tianzhou 2 (previous cargo mission in the Tianzhou series).  
- Followed by Tianzhou 4 (next cargo mission in the series).

### Identifiers and alternate names
- COSPAR ID: 2021-085A.  
- SCN: 49222.  
- Aliases: 天舟三號, 천주 3호, 天舟 3號.  
- Wikimedia Commons category: Tianzhou-3.  
- Wikipedia page title: Tianzhou 3.

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## References

1. Jonathan's Space Report