China's Space Program News Thread

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escobar

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Chinese scientists are researching a new type of aerospace vehicle that will take even those who have never had training to space in about 10 years' time at a much lower cost compared to the current price.Scientists from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation have started work on a new vehicle integrating different kinds of engine technologies.

The vehicle will integrate air-breathing engines, such as turbine and ramjet engines, and rocket engine, which would allow it to operate as a normal plane in the atmosphere and as a rocket in space. Researchers said the new vehicle will be reusable and take off and land at normal airports, without the need for special launch pads like the current rockets require, which will reduce cost substantially.

Zhang Yong, a scientist from the corporation, said they expect to master key technologies in about three to five years, and significantly improve the vehicle's capability during the application.The vehicle is expected to be used for suborbital flight and orbital insertion by 2030, Zhang said. The expeditions will be between dozens to hundreds of kilometers from the earth.
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One small drive from the US embassy in Beijing last month may yet prove to be a giant leap for cooperation between the American space agency Nasa and China’s space programme. In mid-July, a US embassy vehicle drove into the guarded compound of the Chinese Academy of Science’s Institute of Atmospheric Physics in central Beijing, carrying Dr Michael Freilich, the director of Nasa’s earth science division, Christopher Blackerby, the agency’s Pacific Rim representative, and other US government staff.

Once inside they spent hours with their Chinese counterparts in a closed-door meeting on TanSat, a Chinese satellite to be launched later this year.
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escobar said:
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Interesting, so it's going to be crewed. Should have some interesting implications for a military spin off.

Reentry shouldn't be a problem (if you can build a hypersonic aircraft, then you should have enough lightweight thermal shielding for reentry).

And it seems the rumors of the combined scramjet/turbo engine test from last year was true. Add on the successful scramjet Chinese program, the existing competency in rocket motors, and you have the very basic foundations for a truly reuseable spaceplane.
 
Blitzo

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Blackstone said:
They might not be able to make Space Shuttle tiles, and no chance Washington would sell them any.
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If this is a serious project, and if they intend on this spaceplane to be reuseable, they will develop a solution (or are likely developing a solution), and I don't think anyone expects them to buy any important components (or any components at all) from the US for this thing.

In other words, yes, it's safe to assume they'll try to make this component themselves, and if they're serious about this project then they probably believe they can do it.
 
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