Long March rocket prepares for take off

The Long March 7 carrier rocket tasked with lifting the Tianzhou 6 cargo spaceship is being moved to its service tower at the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, according to China Manned Space Agency.

Tianzhou 6 is scheduled to set out in coming days to dock with the country's Tiangong space station to deliver propellants, science payloads and necessities for the astronauts, according to mission plans.

The Long March 7 rocket was transported to the Wenchang center in the mid-April and then underwent prelaunch checks with the cargo ship.

On Friday, the Tianzhou 5 cargo craft undocked from the Tiangong space station and then started a period of solo flight. Its connection hatch will be used by the Tianzhou 6.

Tianzhou 5 is scheduled to re-dock with the space station in the coming weeks after the departure of the Shenzhou XV crew, who will return to Earth after their six-month journey ends, the manned space agency said.

Around the end of May, the crew of the Shenzhou XVI mission is expected to arrive at the massive orbiting outpost to take over from the Shenzhou XV crew, who will have stayed with the station for six months.