China's Space Program News Thread

[SinoSoldier]

Great accomplishment for the China space program, but it still has a long ways to go for a manned Moon landing. Need something like the Saturn V rocket:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Country of origin

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

(90 nmi (170 km), 30° inclination) 310,000 lb (140,000 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

107,100 lb (48,600 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Total launches 13
Successes 12
Failures 0
Partial failures 1 (

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
First flight November 9, 1967
(AS-501

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
Last flight May 14, 1973
(AS-513

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)

Yes, and also a bunch of other pieces of hardware as well. A manned lunar landing would require the necessary crewed capsule, a lunar orbiter/service module, a lunar lander, and a rocket with at least 40-50 ton capacity to TLI (unless you do 6+ CZ-5 launches and assemble the orbiter/lander in orbit).

 

[weig2000]

Great accomplishment for the China space program, but it still has a long ways to go for a manned Moon landing. Need something like the Saturn V rocket:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Country of origin

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

(90 nmi (170 km), 30° inclination) 310,000 lb (140,000 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

107,100 lb (48,600 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Total launches 13
Successes 12
Failures 0
Partial failures 1 (

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
First flight November 9, 1967
(AS-501

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
Last flight May 14, 1973
(AS-513

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)

The R&D for a Saturn class heavy rocket is already under way actually. It appears that the target date for completion is 2030. China has been cautious about committing to develop such a rocket because of its limited use beyond moon landing.

 

[Blackstone]

The R&D for a Saturn class heavy rocket is already under way actually. It appears that the target date for completion is 2030. China has been cautious about committing to develop such a rocket because of its limited use beyond moon landing.

Will need it to establish Moon base(s), as we hear from time to time.

 

[weig2000]

Will need it to establish Moon base(s), as we hear from time to time.

Yes, I heard that too. The space people keep advocating such projects for obvious reasons. The top leadership hasn't really made up their minds because of huge investment required. At this point, it's hard to imagine they will NOT go ahead with the moon landing and subsequently moon base program eventually. Moon bases would be attractive because it would go above and beyond what the US has already accomplished before.

 

[Blackstone]

Yes, I heard that too. The space people keep advocating such projects for obvious reasons. The top leadership hasn't really made up their minds because of huge investment required. At this point, it's hard to imagine they will NOT go ahead with the moon landing and subsequently moon base program eventually. Moon bases would be attractive because it would go above and beyond what the US has already accomplished before.

There's also a good commercial reason for moon base(s), because of relatively abundant Helium 3 for nuclear fusion energy. But, as they say, before you could have rabbit stew, you first must catch the rabbit. Hence Saturn V equivalent.

 

[antiterror13]

Great accomplishment for the China space program, but it still has a long ways to go for a manned Moon landing. Need something like the Saturn V rocket:

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Country of origin

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

(90 nmi (170 km), 30° inclination) 310,000 lb (140,000 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Payload to

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

107,100 lb (48,600 kg)

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Total launches 13
Successes 12
Failures 0
Partial failures 1 (

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
First flight November 9, 1967
(AS-501

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)
Last flight May 14, 1973
(AS-513

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

)

Very true that Saturn V is huge and the biggest so far, even it was built in 1960s ... but the technology of Long March 5 is far more advanced than Saturn V. Long March 5 is one of the most advanced rockets (if not the best)

But Saturn V doesn't exist now ...... to expensive and obsolete technology, thats why now NASA start talking about developing "new" Saturn V ... but it will take a long time and very expensive. NASA is used Russian rocket engines currently

CHinese equivalent of Saturn V is Long March 9 and the first flight is expected in 2025. Make no mistake, even the capacity is similar to Saturn V, but LM-9 is far more advanced

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

 

[SinoSoldier]

Very true that Saturn V is huge and the biggest so far, even it was built in 1960s ... but the technology of Long March 5 is far more advanced than Saturn V.

But Saturn V doesn't exist now ...... to expensive and obsolete technology, thats why now NASA start talking about developing "new" Saturn V ... but it will take a long time and very expensive. NASA is used Russian rocket engines currently

CHinese equivalent of Saturn V is Long March 9 and the first flight is expected in 2025. Make no mistake, even the capacity is similar to Saturn V, but LM-9 is far more advanced

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

To set the record straight, the Saturn V's F1 engines use the same kind of fuel the Long March 5 does (RP1 + LOX) but with far greater thrust (although with lower efficiency). One of the reasons why Saturn V was not "revived" is because its blueprints were destroyed (interestingly, its F1 engines are being restarted for the F-1B engine, once considered for the SLS).

 

[Hytenxic]

I've read that on multiple places that the first flight would be around 2030 which is long way off from now. Also you'll have to test it multiple times for it to be man-rated. Considering how long the RnD took for Long March 5, I would put a lunar landing (if there ever is one) at around 2035 realistically. Of course, I do hope I'm proven wrong and they progress much faster.

 

[weig2000]

Very true that Saturn V is huge and the biggest so far, even it was built in 1960s ... but the technology of Long March 5 is far more advanced than Saturn V. Long March 5 is one of the most advanced rockets (if not the best)

But Saturn V doesn't exist now ...... to expensive and obsolete technology, thats why now NASA start talking about developing "new" Saturn V ... but it will take a long time and very expensive. NASA is used Russian rocket engines currently

CHinese equivalent of Saturn V is Long March 9 and the first flight is expected in 2025. Make no mistake, even the capacity is similar to Saturn V, but LM-9 is far more advanced

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

The US doesn't need to redevelop a new Saturn. It is developing

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

, which has 20% more thrust than Saturn. SLS uses LH2/LOX for fuel though.

 

[Lethe]

Yes, and also a bunch of other pieces of hardware as well. A manned lunar landing would require the necessary crewed capsule, a lunar orbiter/service module, a lunar lander, and a rocket with at least 40-50 ton capacity to TLI (unless you do 6+ CZ-5 launches and assemble the orbiter/lander in orbit).

The R&D for a Saturn class heavy rocket is already under way actually. It appears that the target date for completion is 2030. China has been cautious about committing to develop such a rocket because of its limited use beyond moon landing.

Well that is the debate, isn't it? Whether it is better to build a Saturn V-class rocket for a one-shot to the Moon like Apollo, or whether it would be better to launch the necessary equipment to LEO using smaller rockets, and assemble in orbit?

I am far from an expert, but my suspicion is that a super heavy lift rocket will be necessary for missions beyond the moon anyway, even with assembly in orbit. As such, in the long-term it makes sense to pursue both technologies.

The other question is whether in-orbit assembly makes a rocket in between the current LM-5 and Saturn V-class rockets a practical and attractive option, i.e. a rocket in the class of Falcon Heavy or SLS Stage I.