China's Space Program News Thread

[Centrist]

Deleted

 

[Equation]

Could it be this?

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"BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to launch an upper stage aircraft this year that can be used as a "space shuttle bus" to propel payload in space, a senior official in charge of rocket research said Monday.

The Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage aircraft, attached with a carrier rocket, can carry aircraft using its own power system after reaching an initial orbit, said Liang Xiaohong, Party secretary of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

Yuanzheng-1, which uses liquid propellant, can fulfill several missions while in space and operate as long as 6.5 hours in orbit, said Liang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

It has the same function as a carrier rocket and can bring multiple aircraft to different locations in space, said Liang.

Yuanzheng-1 will play an important role in future moon and Mars exploration as well as orbital transfer and space debris clearing, he said.

China has developed multiple upper stage aircraft with solid propellants since 1980s. Those aircraft had 10 flights, all of which were successful."

So...will it be a capsule or a shuttle? Or a hybrid of both?

 

[vesicles]

Apparently, the Yutu is still alive and well. According to Planetary Society, all scientific equipment on the Yutu is still functional and all the experiments had been carried out although the Yutu is still stationary. I guess this is the best news about the Yutu. And the moon is entering its third night. Let's hope the Yutu will survive this one as well.

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[chuck731]

Apparently, the Yutu is still alive and well. According to Planetary Society, all scientific equipment on the Yutu is still functional and all the experiments had been carried out although the Yutu is still stationary. I guess this is the best news about the Yutu. And the moon is entering its third night. Let's hope the Yutu will survive this one as well.

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Unfortunately since all the instruments have already been used at the rover's current position, keep using them at the same location is unlikely to add much of scientific value to the readings they've already taken. In particular, the scientific value of its grand penetrating radar - the most scientifically important and ground breaking, Pardon the double meaning, instrument on yutu, will remain unfulfilled if the rover can only ping the same spot and can not drive around to use its radar to create a tomographic image of buried lunar geology.

It seems to me the fact that it's scientific instrument all work but the rover itself is immobile strongly suggests the diagnosis of western press - that it's solar panel fail to close - is incorrect or at least incomplete. More likely the drive motors in its wheels were involved in the fault.

 

[chuck731]

So...will it be a capsule or a shuttle? Or a hybrid of both?

Maybe it's something akin to USAF's x-37.

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

Revenge of the Shenlong? That was said to be X37 scale and automated using delta wing with single vertical stabilizer. Could it be that X37 and Dreamchaser have China revisiting there own minishuttle?

 

[Preux]

Is advanced upper stage.



Similar to Centaur, shape reminds me of Fregat.

Talk of solid-fueled vehicles suggest China has something similar to Star series in the works too.

So this news articles has nothing to do with the two letters of thanks.

 

[Centrist]

Is advanced upper stage.

View attachment 9386

Similar to Centaur, shape reminds me of Fregat.

Talk of solid-fueled vehicles suggest China has something similar to Star series in the works too.

So this news articles has nothing to do with the two letters of thanks.

I guess I am unclear on this. What exactly is this thing and how can it be used in all the areas mentioned? I get that its a restart-able rocket stage. But I am unclear as to why it is getting a special name....as if it is a spacecraft in its own right. As far a I know, the upper stages of the Long March 3 rockets don't have a name...they are just another rocket stage.

So is this new thing an addition to the Long March 3? That is, is it a "fourth stage?" or is it taking the place of the third stage? How can this be used to Mars and Lunar exploration.

 

[Quickie]

Could it be this?

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"BEIJING, March 3 (Xinhua) -- China is expected to launch an upper stage aircraft this year that can be used as a "space shuttle bus" to propel payload in space, a senior official in charge of rocket research said Monday.

The Yuanzheng-1 (Expedition-1) upper stage aircraft, attached with a carrier rocket, can carry aircraft using its own power system after reaching an initial orbit, said Liang Xiaohong, Party secretary of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

Yuanzheng-1, which uses liquid propellant, can fulfill several missions while in space and operate as long as 6.5 hours in orbit, said Liang, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the country's top political advisory body.

It has the same function as a carrier rocket and can bring multiple aircraft to different locations in space, said Liang.

Yuanzheng-1 will play an important role in future moon and Mars exploration as well as orbital transfer and space debris clearing, he said.

China has developed multiple upper stage aircraft with solid propellants since 1980s. Those aircraft had 10 flights, all of which were successful."

"upper stage aircraft"? What is an aircraft going to do in space without the "air" in space? More likely some kind of spacecraft?

 

[TerraN_EmpirE]

I sounds to me like a service module. The fact that it's relightable is a critical feature as it would allow return burns from the moon. Assuming a Apollo style mission plan. The service module would be critical as it maneuvers the craft (capsule and service module) into rendezvous with the lunar lander. It then propels the assembly to lunar orbit. Where embarkation occurs, and once the lander has docked and say separated the service module propells back to earth orbit. It also generates power and extends the operational life of the crew module.