China's Space Program News Thread

[AF-1]

Current configuration with 3 moduls is fair enough for first several years of operation, to allow chinese to masterise/routinise all of the operations such are docking, space walks, maintainance, executing science experiments, and most important masterise operations with new space capsule.
When all those become trully routine, then it can be possible to add more and more moduls, including international, but with condition that transfer/cargo vehicles remain strictly Chinese (excluding for short visits if needed of Russian capsules)
I hope and expect for many foreign astronauts from many countries will visit, stay full round, make science experiments on Chinese station, as well as private citizens/space tourists.

 

[Richard Santos]

Tienhe has 6 ports. 1 is configured as an EVA port, the other 5 have identical docking interfaces.

The 2 experimental modules uses exactly the same docking interfaces to connect to Tianhe as the resupply ship and crew ferry capsules. This means the configuration of the station is flexible. The modules can be attached to any of the 5 docking ports, and presumably be detached and moved around to be attached to other ports later if the station needs to be reconfigured to grow.

Currently the plan is for the 2 experimental modules to occupy the 2 side docking ports. If the tianzhou cargo ferry and Shenzhou crew ferry are both attached, then that leaves 1 free docking port that might be used for an extra experimental lab to attach to the station;s docking nexus.

If it is desired to keep an extra port free as, for example, an emergency docking port in case the attached Shenzhou and Tianzhou capsules malfunctions and would not detach, it would still be possible to add another module so long as the new module has docking interface on both ends. This would allow the new module to,use one of its docking interface to attach to the rear of Tianhe’s main body, and use 5he other docking interface as the new docking port for Tianzhou.

 

[ericlfh]

Why don't covert the space station to some sort of space ship at the end of the space station life. Could have attach an engine and controller and head off to the moon. Maybe they can research the space ship engine needed to perform this task nowm

 

[Temstar]

Long March 2C launched today after 1 day delay

 

[escobar]

Long March 2C launched today after 1 day delay

Ninth group of this SIGINT constellation. Said to have 72 in total

 

[antiterror13]

Ninth group of this SIGINT constellation. Said to have 72 in total

So what does it mean to have 72 in total ? would it be able to track any ships anywhere in the world in real time ?

 

[anzha]

Long March 2C launched today after 1 day delay

A little more info:

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[Hendrik_2000]

So what does it mean to have 72 in total ? would it be able to track any ships anywhere in the world in real time ?

Some one did calculation years ago that with 36 satellite constellation you have 1/2 hour update rate. But 72 satellite is not necessarily all optical so some of them might be electronic signal intelligence some of them SAR. So china still need to loft another 25 satellite assuming 1/3rd is optical to give it 1/2 update rate!

But having said so I have no doubt that they have 1st and 2nd island chain full coverage!

 

[Richard Santos]

Why don't covert the space station to some sort of space ship at the end of the space station life. Could have attach an engine and controller and head off to the moon. Maybe they can research the space ship engine needed to perform this task nowm

You will be taking something that was never designed for it, when it is nearing the end of its service life so chances of break downs and failures have risen considerably, and sending it on a mission when any break down and failure would be much more critical than was the case when it was in low earth orbit and a rescue craft can reach it in under 24 hours.

 

[Richard Santos]

Some one did calculation years ago that with 36 satellite constellation you have 1/2 hour update rate. But 72 satellite is not necessarily all optical so some of them might be electronic signal intelligence some of them SAR. So china still need to loft another 25 satellite assuming 1/3rd is optical to give it 1/2 update rate!

But having said so I have no doubt that they have 1st and 2nd island chain full coverage!

Whether or not they can have preferentially better coverage for one particular relatively low latitude area of the planet than others can be told by the inclination, altitude and eccentricity of their orbits. Anyone known their orbit attributes?