The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) reported that the assembly of the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft and the Long March-7Y9 carrier rocket was transferred vertically to the launch site on Wednesday, and the cargo spacecraft will be launched at a favourable time soon.

According to the plan, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft will deliver supplies to the crews of Shenzhou-19 and Shenzhou-20 to ensure life and work on the space station. Facilities and equipment at the Wenchang spacecraft launch site in South China’s Hainan Province are all in good condition, and several pre-launch functional checks and joint tests will be conducted as planned, the agency said.