China's Space Program News Thread
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SinoSoldier
Colonel
Henri K.:
According to the party secretary of CASC, the CZ-9 launch vehicle will fly within 15 years. It will undertake the following missions:
- manned lunar landing
- Mars samples return
- interplanetary exploration
From other sources (GlobalSecurity), there is indication that the Chinese are settling on a configuration involving a core stage with five YF-220 engines (2000 kN each) and four five-segment strap-on solid rocket boosters (10000 kN each).
According to the party secretary of CASC, the CZ-9 launch vehicle will fly within 15 years. It will undertake the following missions:
- manned lunar landing
- Mars samples return
- interplanetary exploration
From other sources (GlobalSecurity), there is indication that the Chinese are settling on a configuration involving a core stage with five YF-220 engines (2000 kN each) and four five-segment strap-on solid rocket boosters (10000 kN each).
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
If the Info graphic is correct that would make it just a Hair short of the Saturn V at 110.6 meters and 13 meters taller than the SLS, 5 meters taller than the N1 the Russians wanted to use for a manned Lunar mission.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
According to some sources, the CZ-2F will be replaced by the CZ-7, which is itself allegedly based on the former.
The CZ-5 will be tasked for launching heavy unmanned payloads into LEO, GTO, or LTO. One of them includes a lunar rover designed to undertake sample return missions. However, that does not preclude the launch vehicle from being purposed to launch manned spacecraft, such as a notional Sino-Orion.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
A deep space facility run by CLEP, in Argentina, is shown below. The Chinese have indicated that they will focus on exploring Mars after the moon.
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Photographs:
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TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
What ever they choose will have to get a manned rating that normally means a number of unmanned trial launches and escape system development.
What ever the case given the rate of manned launches for the PRC They have plenty of time.
SinoSoldier
Colonel
Selecting a launch vehicle for a man rating is a proactive decision, and involves more than merely seeing which vehicle has the highest success rate. Engineers will have to make adjustments to the vehicle design and add redundant components.
CNSA knows very well how difficult and dangerous manned space exploration is. They will use the Tiangong 2 and CSS to do experiments on long term exposure in zero-gravity environment.
I can see a early 2030s target for manned moon landing and a manned mission to mars by somewhere in mid 2040s. That is if Chinese economic growth continues and leaders see benefits of having taikonauts walking on lunar and martian soil.
China have to do that in order to be recognized as worlds dominant power. As they say "with great power comes great responsibilities". As soon as the chinese nation becomes a ecomonical and technological superpower, it must take the heavy burden of being the leader of world order and therefore also the scientific beacon.
I am so exited for the coming years of space race. Looking forward to both SLS and the Chinas answer to it.
I can see a early 2030s target for manned moon landing and a manned mission to mars by somewhere in mid 2040s. That is if Chinese economic growth continues and leaders see benefits of having taikonauts walking on lunar and martian soil.
China have to do that in order to be recognized as worlds dominant power. As they say "with great power comes great responsibilities". As soon as the chinese nation becomes a ecomonical and technological superpower, it must take the heavy burden of being the leader of world order and therefore also the scientific beacon.
I am so exited for the coming years of space race. Looking forward to both SLS and the Chinas answer to it.
TerraN_EmpirE
Tyrant King
The PRC has not achieved global domination yet, and alot can happen in 14-25 years.
They have been launching manned missions at a leisurely pace. Last manned launch was 2013 and before that its was intermittent as well.
I am pleased with there use of small Skylab style modules. It indicates a serious interest in Long duration space travel. However the biggest problems for the PRC taking long duration seriously is the numbers. 3 men crews are fine for flags and footprint exercises, but for real science beyond LEO you need at least a half dozen.
The next biggest problem for humans is gravity or lack thereof. That's not just pointed at the CNSA that's a across the board; thus far only the minimum of work has been done on plants and insects and mice.
larger animal studies need to be conducted to get data on the effects of artificial gravity on larger vertebrate animal. And then if successful development of a craft that considers that data and introduces gravity simulation technologies IE habitat wheels and space bolos space craft that rotate to generate a centrifuge effect as uniformly as possible. That that brings another issue larger ships.
Still a long winding road, although the US lost its own manned launch system with the shuttle its presence on the ISS has been continuous and they will be back under there own power shortly. The Russians have there own issues but are deeply linked to the CNSA successes having shared technologies and training.
They have been launching manned missions at a leisurely pace. Last manned launch was 2013 and before that its was intermittent as well.
I am pleased with there use of small Skylab style modules. It indicates a serious interest in Long duration space travel. However the biggest problems for the PRC taking long duration seriously is the numbers. 3 men crews are fine for flags and footprint exercises, but for real science beyond LEO you need at least a half dozen.
The next biggest problem for humans is gravity or lack thereof. That's not just pointed at the CNSA that's a across the board; thus far only the minimum of work has been done on plants and insects and mice.
larger animal studies need to be conducted to get data on the effects of artificial gravity on larger vertebrate animal. And then if successful development of a craft that considers that data and introduces gravity simulation technologies IE habitat wheels and space bolos space craft that rotate to generate a centrifuge effect as uniformly as possible. That that brings another issue larger ships.
Still a long winding road, although the US lost its own manned launch system with the shuttle its presence on the ISS has been continuous and they will be back under there own power shortly. The Russians have there own issues but are deeply linked to the CNSA successes having shared technologies and training.
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