At 10:03 p.m. January 17, 2024 Beijing time, the Long March-7 Y8 launch vehicle carrying Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft blasted off at Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site.

At 22:27 Beijing Time on January 17, 2024, the Long March-7 Y8 carrier rocket carrying the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was ignited and launched from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China. About 10 minutes later, the Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft was successfully separated from the rocket, and entered designated orbit and its solar panels were successfully deployed, marking a complete success of the launch mission. Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft will soon rendezvous and dock with the space station assembly in orbit. 

In addition to consumables for the astronauts to stay in orbit and other materials such as propellants and application experiment (testing) devices, Tianzhou-7 cargo spacecraft will deliver "New Year Goods" for the Spring Festival of the Year of Dragon to the crew of the Shenzhou-17 spacecraft. 

This is the fourth launch mission of China's manned space program in the stage of space station application and development, the 31st launch mission since the initiation of the program, and the 507th flight of the Long March carrier rockets.