Tianzhou 8

Tianzhou 8 was the eighth mission of the Tianzhou-class uncrewed cargo spacecraft, and the seventh resupply mission to the Tiangong space station. Like previous Tianzhou missions, the spacecraft was launched from the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan, China on a Long March 7 rocket.

Mission history

Tianzhou 8 was launched on November 15, 2024, successfully docking with Tiangong after a three-hour flight.
Like all Tianzhou craft since Tianzhou 6, Tianzhou 8 stayed docked to Tiangong for around 9 months before being deorbited on July 8, 2025 to make room for the next supply mission.

Payload

Tianzhou 8 delivered 6,000 kg of supplies and materials to Tiangong, 102 kg more mass than its predecessor Tianzhou 7. The cargo includes various bricks made from lunar regolith simulant, which will be deployed on external racks outside Tiangong for up to three years before being returned to the earth for analysis.