Tianzhou 5 reconnects with Tiangong space station

The Tianzhou 5 cargo spacecraft re-docked with the Tiangong space station early on Tuesday morning, according to the China Manned Space Agency.

In a brief news release, the agency said the robotic spaceship connected with the Tiangong station at 3:10 am.

The Tianzhou 5 launched on Nov 12 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province, and docked with Tiangong later that same day. It was tasked with refueling the space station and bringing astronauts' living and work necessities.

On May 5, the vessel undocked from the Tiangong and started a solo flight that lasted 33 days.

The Tianzhou 6 was launched from Wenchang on May 10 to transport materials for the next manned missions.

After Tianzhou 5's re-docking, the Tiangong currently is connected with three visiting spacecraft, the Shenzhou XVI crew spaceship and the Tianzhou 5 and Tianzhou 6 cargo vessels.