China's Space Program News Thread

[escobar]

As China's first SAR imaging satellite that is accurate to one meter in distance, GF-3 covers the globe with an all-weather, 24-hour observation service and will be used for disaster warning, weather forecasting, water resource assessments, and the protection of maritime rights.The 2,950-Kilogram satellite is based on the CS-L3000B satellite bus developed by the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) with high-stability and high-agility attitude control systems employing a combination of Control Moment Gyros and Momentum Wheels.

Compared with optical imaging satellites, Gaofen-3 will better perform disaster monitoring as the SAR imaging satellite is capable of imaging in severe weather conditions as it uses microwave transmission. "The launch of Gaofen-3 is expected to reduce dependence on data provided by foreign microwave imaging satellites," said Jiang Xingwei, deputy chief engineer of Gaofen satellite application system.

With 12 imaging modes, Gaofen-3 has the most imaging modes in the SAR imaging satellite family. The high-definition observation satellite is capable of switching freely between various imaging modes, taking wide pictures of both earth and sea, and detailed photographs of specific areas.

According to Yu Weidong, deputy chief engineer of Gaofen-3 satellite system payload, Gaofen-3's spatial resolution ranges from one meter to 500 meters and its largest viewing swath is 650 kilometers. With a one-meter resolution, Gaofen-3 has the highest resolution among its kind, which enables the satellite to provide clear images of all roads, buildings and boats.

Gaofen-3 is also China's first low orbit remote sensing satellite to have a lifespan of eight years, longer than other China-built satellites, which have a lifespan of three to five years, and that of foreign models between six to seven-and-a-half years. The new satellite is able to provide high-definition remote sensing data over long periods of time. It can capture continuous imaging for nearly one hour during ocean observation.

The development of the Gaofen-3 mission started in late 2010 with first engineering hardware built in 2013. The flight unit finished assembly in May ahead of final testing and shipment to Jiuquan.The primary user of Gaofen-3 data is the State Oceanic Administration.

 

[Blackstone]

Blackstone, I remind you of a few little facts I think you are overlooking.

1. The US was not the Only shuttle builder. The Russians Who have shared a number of Space Technologies Also ran a shuttle program. Although less successful The Russians Launched a full shuttle and a number of smaller BORS4 Demonstrators with heat shields a number of which landed in the Pacific and are unaccounted.
2. In addition To the US and Russia, a number of nations and agencies including The EU Space program, India and Japan not only studied but in some cases flew demonstration flights.
3. Along with National programs Commercial Programs All of which need some degree of heat shield.
4. The Chinese Shuttle program dates back atleast as far as 1992 This means that the CNSA has had over 20 years to work on there own heat shield In addition the Chinese have been working extensively on Hyper sonic Glide vehicles. These HSG's need some form of Thermal protection.

All of Which I think makes a pretty strong Circumstantial argument for The CNSA having at least easy access to a Thermal protection Tile system in some degree of TRL. Whether from Abroad via Technology share from Europe or Russia who have been more willing than the US to work with the CNSA. Or Reverse Engineering of Foreign systems procured though subterfuge or Commercial Access or even pure indigenous development.

Fair enough TE, we'll wait for more evidence of Chinese spaceplane to come out in the public sphere.

 

[escobar]

The new high-resolution Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imaging satellite of China boasts of many important technical breakthroughs."This satellite has the highest resolution in the type," said Liu Jie, chief designer of Gaofen-3. Full polarization is another technological breakthrough, said Liu.

"This satellite is China's first satellite with full polarization. The old satellites are the single polarization. The full polarization has two polarizations and different polarizations are capable of describing different culture features that can provide more information on scenarios," said Liu.

Besides, the high-definition observation satellite owns 12 imaging modes, which means it can take pictures of both the Earth and the ocean."This satellite has the largest number of imaging modes compared with other satellites of the same type, which can meet demands of different users," said Liu Jie. Since the inception of the Gaofen project in 2013, China has had an increasingly clear view of the planet.

 

[Blitzo]

@Skywatcher

regarding your latest write up... isn't the opening picture merely a picture of Skylon? Was the CCTV broadcast claiming that Skylon was their hybrid spaceplane, or merely showing Skylon as an example of such a spaceplane? Because you make it sound like the former, and I'm not sure what the original video actually said...

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

.... also, come on man, way too much speculation about "space bombers" later on in the write up

 

[AssassinsMace]

I think it's again a case of the Chinese media having to show some visualization no matter if it's a accurate depiction or not. Much like the search for MH370 where they used file footage of a hydrophone on a fishing pole being as how they were searching for the black box signal. Same method but not the same system.

 

[siegecrossbow]

I think it's again a case of the Chinese media having to show some visualization no matter if it's a accurate depiction or not. Much like the search for MH370 where they used file footage of a hydrophone on a fishing pole being as how they were searching for the black box signal. Same method but not the same system.

Although the visualization is off, they did claim that they'll have a prototype by 2030.

 

[Blackstone]

Although the visualization is off, they did claim that they'll have a prototype by 2030.

Is working proto by 2030 creditable?

 

[Jeff Head]

As to the Russian Space Shuttle Program, the Buran...it was another massive program by the Russians that they could not afford and helped bankrupt them.



They ended up having one orbital flight. Two orbits. That only space flight occurred at on 15 November 1988 for about three hours.

It was a monumental accomplishment...but sadly, short lived.





That was it folks. The program was officially cancelled in 1993 after the fall of the Soviets.

They even developed, similar to NASA the piggy back method of using a large transport to ccarry thier shuttle around.



So, one operational shuttle that made one flight. Sadly, that one space craft was destroyed when its building collapsed. A second orbiter was started...but never finished.

 

[Jeff Head]

By way of comparison, the US Space Shuttle program, despite two tragedies where two vehicles and their entire crews were lost, still experienced great success, despite those two disasters.

The First flight was in April 1981
The last flight was in July 2011.

A typical Shuttle launch...which became fairly common place over the thirty years they were operational:



Thirty years and 133 successful missions.

Five operational shuttles were built and they were involved with so many projects, labs, telescopes, building the Space Station, etc., etc.



The 747 was used, and speciallyu rebuilt for the purpose of doing so, to carry the Shuttle from Edwards in the West to Florida for launch:



The US Shuttle had several airfield where it could divert to if necessary for landing:



In addition to things like Space Lab, the Hubble sopace telescope, and many many other missions, including classified military missions, the Shuttle was VERY instrumental in building the International Space Station (ISS)



In July 2016, the final Space Shuttle mission was successfully launched:

 

[escobar]

China creates high-tech insulation for space

China has developed a cutting-edge ultralight material for thermal insulation on its rockets and spacecraft, according to engineers.Zou Junfeng, a senior engineer at the Aerospace Institute of Advanced Materials and Processing Technology in Beijing, said the material, called aerogel, has been widely used in space missions by the United States, Russia and Europe.

"We have also developed our own aerogel products and some of them are at the highest technological level in the world," he said. "A lot of our spacecraft, satellites and rockets are now using our products to resist heat or maintain internal temperatures." The heavy-duty Long March 5 rocket, which will be China's most sophisticated and strongest launch vehicle, is scheduled to conduct its maiden flight before the end of this year.

It will use aerogel developed by Zou's institute to maintain the required temperature for its engine's pipes, he said."Our aerogel products are capable of not only insulating heat but also withstanding strong vibration, so they will ensure the smooth operation of the rocket," he said.

Moreover, the nation's future Mars rover will use aerogel to maintain warmth when it lands on the Red Planet."Our cargo spacecraft that will be launched next year will also be equipped with a refrigerator that uses our aerogel materials, significantly reducing the refrigerator's weight," Zou said. NASA also used aerogel for thermal insulation of its Mars Rover and space suits.

Zou's institute, part of the Third Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp, specializes in materials used on spacecraft and missiles. It has developed a series of aerogel products that can work in a wide range of temperatures, from minus 100 C to 2,500 C. They are used in the Chinese military's latest weapons, said Cao Hui, director of the institute.

He said aerogel is the lightest solid material ever developed by humans, calling it a "magic material that will change the world".Cao said the institute's aerogel products are also used on China's large ships and high-speed trains, adding that engineers will promote the advanced material to more civilian sectors.