Chinese Hypersonic Developments (HGVs/HCMs)

[AndrewJ]

I watched SpaceX starship flight tests sometimes. When reusable boosters re-entry, I noticed they still managed to make the process live on air. One side of the vehicle is always directly & steadily facing the hot atomsphere, and the other side (back side) is facing outer space, where the transmitters could link to satellites (starlink). The back side still can communicate! Not wrapped with plasma sheet?

So there're indeed some ways can work these problems out?!

 

[gk1713]

I read the wiki introducing

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, which has following sayings.



So, DF-17 is not capable to hit moving targets, like aircraft carriers? Then why DF-21D & DF-26B can?

“HGVs with costs in the tens of millions each”
I am sure this is wrong too, DF-17 cost under 3m dollars.

 

[gpt]

“HGVs with costs in the tens of millions each”
I am sure this is wrong too, DF-17 cost under 3m dollars.

They're basing on US hypersonic costs, see the reference section in the wiki.
Namely the AHW (Advanced Hypersonic Weapon), ARRW (Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon) and Dark Eagle.
All of which have unit costs in the tens of millions.

 

[gelgoog]

I watched SpaceX starship flight tests sometimes. When reusable boosters re-entry, I noticed they still managed to make the process live on air. One side of the vehicle is always directly & steadily facing the hot atomsphere, and the other side (back side) is facing outer space, where the transmitters could link to satellites (starlink). The back side still can communicate! Not wrapped with plasma sheet?

So there're indeed some ways can work these problems out?!

Of course there are. You can put the antenna away from the plasma zone like you said. There is also a range of radio frequencies you can use even through plasma. This is called the plasma radio window. Plasma does not block all frequencies, just some.

 

[AssassinsMace]

I watched SpaceX starship flight tests sometimes. When reusable boosters re-entry, I noticed they still managed to make the process live on air. One side of the vehicle is always directly & steadily facing the hot atomsphere, and the other side (back side) is facing outer space, where the transmitters could link to satellites (starlink). The back side still can communicate! Not wrapped with plasma sheet?

So there're indeed some ways can work these problems out?!

There was an article a while back maybe even posted in here saying China developed a process that made hypersonic components less expensive to produce.

 

[bsdnf]

I watched SpaceX starship flight tests sometimes. When reusable boosters re-entry, I noticed they still managed to make the process live on air. One side of the vehicle is always directly & steadily facing the hot atomsphere, and the other side (back side) is facing outer space, where the transmitters could link to satellites (starlink). The back side still can communicate! Not wrapped with plasma sheet?

So there're indeed some ways can work these problems out?!

There are many ways to solve the communication problem of the plasma sheath, and there are also many ways to suppress the plasma sheath. For the PLA, it has never been an insurmountable problem.

Electromagnetic science experimental research device for high-speed target plasma in near space built by "973 Project" and the resulting publications

 

[Hermes]

Deino, also a new high speed craft having a test flight
2015-09-18 16:58 中国航空新闻网 通讯员 祁圣君 我要评论0 字号：
核心提示： 近日，我国某试飞试验基地，在发动机的轰鸣声中，某型机交付试飞中心后的首次试验飞行拉开序幕。伴随着飞机的滑跑，起飞，离地，渐行渐远消失在天际，忐忑、激动，一种难以言表的情绪在试飞队中传递着……

近日，我国某试飞试验基地，在发动机的轰鸣声中，某型机交付试飞中心后的首次试验飞行拉开序幕。伴随着飞机的滑跑，起飞，离地，渐行渐远消失在天际，忐忑、激动，一种难以言表的情绪在试飞队中传递着……

这是某型机转入试飞中心后的首次飞行，该型飞机任务剖面特殊、飞行方式独特，飞行速度和高度更是远超试飞中心成立以来所有其他试飞机型，其试飞任务难度大，准备时间短，承担该型机试飞任务的项目团队的每个人都感受到了沉重的压力。

本次飞行任务中，试飞方案设计、任务规划、任务指挥等多项重要职责主要由试飞团队中飞机专业人员负责。从前期的任务准备，航路规划，到飞行前的闭环试验，指挥流程，再到最后的实际飞行指挥，总能看到他们的身影。作为现场技术负责人的刘尚民研究员从制定试飞计划、试飞方案,到实际任务书的编制都做到亲力亲为，给年轻人起到表率作用。王锋是该团队飞机平台的综合主管，负责飞机相关专业试飞方案的设计及实施，他组织团队熟悉试飞对象，从试飞安全的角度出发，制定了较为全面的试飞安全保障措施，同时他还带领了年轻人与设计人员、试飞员等沟通，创新性的提出了适用于该型号的试飞方法。任务规划和任务指挥是本次试飞的核心岗位，‘初生牛犊不怕虎’的张立丰入院仅一年多，面对着这种跨代式的飞行器，有着一股不服输的劲头。作为任务规划核心成员，在近一个月的时间内,天不亮就得进场开展任务设计工作，一遍遍地试验，一次次地修改。迎着夕阳赶回宾馆又要着手任务流程的演练，一遍、两遍…,夜已深。

起飞数小时后，航线任务完成。一架深色飞机，从深邃的天空中大角度俯冲接近，潇洒地完成拉平，轻盈平飘至机场跑道，整个过程犹如利剑还鞘准确潇洒。随着‘飞机已刹停’指令的发出，本次任务圆满结束。原本的不安和紧张瞬间得到释放，掌声、笑语在监控室轰然响起。

此次试飞实现了试飞中心在高超音速试飞领域的突破，标志试飞中心在该型机试飞技术领域内的更加成熟。新领域，新挑战，对试飞中心的年轻人来说，这里是一个新的起点，将是见证中国速度和中国高度更快更高的地方，更是一个梦开始的地方。

Deino posted the link in the Chinese Aviation Industry thread and ask for a translation already. I just posted a short translation there.

This the first flight of certain type of plane since transferred to the test flight center. This plane's mission profile is special and the flying style is also unique, flight speed and heigh of this plane exceeding all other test planes since the inception of this flight test center.

The difficulty of this flight test mission is extremly high, but preparation time is short that put heavy pressure on this project and team. The flight test center achieved a breakthrough in the field of hypersonic flight.

And the plane color is dark. Maybe some kind of Chinese new hypersonic high attitude reconnaissance plane or bomber? Or hypersonic high attitude UAV... but then the article did mention pilots. I hope it was my avatar's first flight. It might be bigger news than 2016.

Thanks to both of You ... if true it would be unbelievable !

So was this the J-36 all along?

 

[sometimesnaive]

plasma radio window

Where could I read more about this? never heard of it before.

 

[taxiya]

I watched SpaceX starship flight tests sometimes. When reusable boosters re-entry, I noticed they still managed to make the process live on air. One side of the vehicle is always directly & steadily facing the hot atomsphere, and the other side (back side) is facing outer space, where the transmitters could link to satellites (starlink). The back side still can communicate! Not wrapped with plasma sheet?

So there're indeed some ways can work these problems out?!

This isn't so challenging and has been done decades ago. For such huge craft and shape the plasma does not fully envelope the entire body. Space shuttle can communicated with satellite during reentry through the tail side "hole" of plasma envelope.

The real challenge of black-out is to make it work for small spacecraft like capsules due to their smaller size and cone shapes that let ionized gas to wrap around them from the bottom.

It is more difficult for smaller gliders/wave raiders (mini shuttles) due to their much smaller size. But they are easier to do than capsules thanks to their shapes. This includes dream chaser, X-37 and DF-17 etc. Their fuselage and wings if designed well can keep the hot gas from wrapping around creating a "hole" free of or greatly reduced plasma.

 

[nativechicken]

This isn't so challenging and has been done decades ago. For such huge craft and shape the plasma does not fully envelope the entire body. Space shuttle can communicated with satellite during reentry through the tail side "hole" of plasma envelope.

The real challenge of black-out is to make it work for small spacecraft like capsules due to their smaller size and cone shapes that let ionized gas to wrap around them from the bottom.

It is more difficult for smaller gliders/wave raiders (mini shuttles) due to their much smaller size. But they are easier to do than capsules thanks to their shapes. This includes dream chaser, X-37 and DF-17 etc. Their fuselage and wings if designed well can keep the hot gas from wrapping around creating a "hole" free of or greatly reduced plasma.

Add it up.
Actually, plasma’s shielding effect varies across different frequency bands. Utilizing multi-band communications can strategically mitigate signal disruption during re-entry.