Tsinghua University's Nanostar-4A/B satellite was successfully launched on the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraftAt 23:13 on November 15, 2024, Beijing time, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft of China's manned space program was ignited and launched at the Wenchang Launch Center in Hainan on the Long March-7 Yao-9 carrier rocket, and the launch mission was a complete success. The Nanostar-4A/B satellite, developed by the team led by Academician You Zheng and Professor Xing Fei of the Department of Precision Instruments of Tsinghua University, was used as the key payload of the test and flew into space on the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft, starting the journey of orbital scientific experiments in the space station.Nanosat-4A/B is a space microsystem and remote sensing new technology test satellite established by the intelligent microsystem and nanosatellite team led by Academician You Zheng of the Department of Precision Instruments of Tsinghua University on the basis of many years of micro-nano satellite research and development. It has achieved miniaturization of satellite devices through unique MEMS, ASIC, 3D-MID and other microsystem manufacturing processes; it has achieved intelligent functional units through multi-source perception, integrated attitude and orbit control and intelligent fusion; it has established ultra-low surface-to-mass ratio flight control, ultra-strong power discharge and multi-mode switching, which can achieve flexible on-orbit operation; the self-developed rate of the entire satellite components of Nanosat-4 is 80%, with high energy density composite energy storage architecture, low surface-to-mass ratio and low power consumption operation, high-precision autonomous navigation and positioning, etc. On the basis of verifying the new generation of nanosatellite microsystem technology, Nanosat-4 will also carry out scientific experimental tasks such as space remote sensing and spacecraft intelligent monitoring.
At 8:26 a.m. Beijing Time on November 16, taikonaut Cai Xuzhe opened the hatch to the #Tianzhou8 cargo spacecraft and entered. Tianzhou-8 has delivered 6 tonnes’ worth of supplies, including living and working consumables, propellant, experimental equipment and materials.
清华大学纳星四号A/B星搭乘天舟八号货运飞船成功发射QuoteTsinghua University's Nanostar-4A/B satellite was successfully launched on the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraftAt 23:13 on November 15, 2024, Beijing time, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft of China's manned space program was ignited and launched at the Wenchang Launch Center in Hainan on the Long March-7 Yao-9 carrier rocket, and the launch mission was a complete success. The Nanostar-4A/B satellite, developed by the team led by Academician You Zheng and Professor Xing Fei of the Department of Precision Instruments of Tsinghua University, was used as the key payload of the test and flew into space on the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft, starting the journey of orbital scientific experiments in the space station.Nanosat-4A/B is a space microsystem and remote sensing new technology test satellite established by the intelligent microsystem and nanosatellite team led by Academician You Zheng of the Department of Precision Instruments of Tsinghua University on the basis of many years of micro-nano satellite research and development. It has achieved miniaturization of satellite devices through unique MEMS, ASIC, 3D-MID and other microsystem manufacturing processes; it has achieved intelligent functional units through multi-source perception, integrated attitude and orbit control and intelligent fusion; it has established ultra-low surface-to-mass ratio flight control, ultra-strong power discharge and multi-mode switching, which can achieve flexible on-orbit operation; the self-developed rate of the entire satellite components of Nanosat-4 is 80%, with high energy density composite energy storage architecture, low surface-to-mass ratio and low power consumption operation, high-precision autonomous navigation and positioning, etc. On the basis of verifying the new generation of nanosatellite microsystem technology, Nanosat-4 will also carry out scientific experimental tasks such as space remote sensing and spacecraft intelligent monitoring.The Naxing-4A/B (纳星四号A/B星) are the payloads together with Tianzhou-8 launched.
Since I haven't seen others pick up on my recent social media posts on bluesky:Space Force have cataloged an object released from the Chinese Space Station around Apr 6 or 7. 63523/2021-035E is possibly (but far from certainly) the Naxing-4A/B cubesat payload from Tsinghua University that was carried to the station by the Tianzhou-8 freighter in November.Meanwhile I took another look at the data on 2021-035D and conclude that it is also a payload. It was ejected fromCSS on 2024 Dec 6 at about 1730UTC; it made small orbit adjustments on Dec 28, Dec 30 and Jan 4,and reentered on 2025 Apr 10.
Wu Lei @wulei202026 minBye and thank you, Tianzhou-8!At 15:09 Beijing Time on July 8, the #Tianzhou8 cargo spacecraft undocked from the Tiangong space station and switched to independent flight. It is scheduled to carry out a controlled re-entry into the atmosphere in the near future.
CCTV+ @CCTV_PlusThe Tianzhou-8 cargo craft successfully separated from the station combination at 3:09 p.m. Tuesday (Beijing Time) and switched to independent flight, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). The cargo craft will re-enter the atmosphere in a controlled manner in the near future.
Xinhua News Agency, The reporter learned from the China Manned Space Engineering Office that the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft had re-entered the atmosphere under control at 6:42 on the 9th (22h42 UTC on the 8th). Most of the spacecraft's components were ablated and destroyed during the re-entry process, and a small amount of debris fell into the predetermined safe sea area.The Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft was launched into orbit at the Wenchang Space Launch Center on November 15, 2024, carrying astronauts' on-orbit consumables, propellants, application (test) equipment and other materials.On July 8, 2025, the Tianzhou-8 cargo spacecraft successfully evacuated the space station complex and entered the independent flight phase.
