China launches cargo craft Tianzhou-5 for space station supplies

China to launch cargo spacecraft Tianzhou 5

China will launch Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft on Saturday morning to transport fuel and supplies to the country's orbiting Tiangong space station, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

The agency said in a short press release that the launch is scheduled to take place around 10:03 am at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, adding that propellants have been pumped into the Long March 7 carrier rocket that will lift the spaceship.

The rocket was moved to the launch tower on Wednesday and underwent final checks over the past days.

Tianzhou 5 will become the fourth cargo ship to dock with Tiangong, following the Tianzhou 2, 3 and 4.

The Tianzhou 4, which stayed connected with the space station for six months, undocked from Tiangong on Wednesday and will be guided by ground controllers back to Earth in due course, the agency said.

Currently, the Tiangong station consists of a core module, two lab modules and a spacecraft used to transport the astronauts.