China's Space Program News Thread

[kriss]

And only one anti-satellite missile to destroy it all in time of war. That's way too much capacity in a vulnerable location to build for such a big price tag, assuming it can even be done in the first place.

It will only start the construction after another decade or two even if everything goes as planned. Maybe they'll put laser on it who knows. Even we are talking about today's technology it will likely lie on GEO orbit above china and enjoy all the protection and distance and orbital height etc. Also I don't think one missile is not gonna knock out a 10000 ton space station.

No matter what human will expanse into space and large orbital installation will start to pop up. They'll find a way to set things straight in the new era.

 

[Insignius]

Just saw the news. Certainly everywhere is talking about building a 10000 ton solar power plant with 2.5 million megawatt output on orbit. They estimate it will take 386 CZ-9 launch in a time span of 3.2 years.

If this is more than some media hype. If this ever come true, it will certainly change the world forever.

Fascinating. Do you have a link for that?

 

[nabla]

Fascinating. Do you have a link for that?

This idea has been floated before. For example, at

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they quote a Chinese research paper giving
"Constructing orbital solar power plant with 10,000 MW capacity, massing some 50,000 tonnes, requiring 620+ launches)"
as a potential application for the heavy lift launch vehicle. Obviously, this plan envisions a solar power satellite that is both heavier and less powerful than what is proposed now.

 

[nabla]

Here is another piece of news about the same topic

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It should be noted that, e.g., Elon Musk has been very sceptical about space based solar power (see 43:10 from the video below):

Still, I have to say that Musk could be wrong here. Space based solar power has many advantages besides just being a able to collect more sunlight.

 

[chinois49]

"Constructing orbital solar power plant with 10,000 MW capacity, massing some 50,000 tonnes, requiring 620+ launches)"
It's bullshit
10.000MW capacity is few, it's 10 nuclear standard power plant for 1/20 of the price. (50.000t, 10.000$/kg => 500.000.000.000$
one nuclear power plant 3.060.000.000$ (AP 1000):
"CNEA estimated in May 2013 that the construction cost for two AP1000 units at Sanmen would be CNY 40.1 billion ($6.12 billion)"

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[kriss]

Fascinating. Do you have a link for that?

It's literally everywhere on internet all of a sudden.

Here is another piece of news about the same topic

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It should be noted that, e.g., Elon Musk has been very sceptical about space based solar power (see 43:10 from the video below):

Still, I have to say that Musk could be wrong here. Space based solar power has many advantages besides just being a able to collect more sunlight.

It's indeed been around for like a decade. I was also very skeptical and still kinda now about the idea but they were very specific this time and they quote some leading scientist from CNSA so I don't know I'll just sit back and wait this time.

 

[kriss]

"Constructing orbital solar power plant with 10,000 MW capacity, massing some 50,000 tonnes, requiring 620+ launches)"
It's bullshit
10.000MW capacity is few, it's 10 nuclear standard power plant for 1/20 of the price. (50.000t, 10.000$/kg => 500.000.000.000$
one nuclear power plant 3.060.000.000$ (AP 1000):
"CNEA estimated in May 2013 that the construction cost for two AP1000 units at Sanmen would be CNY 40.1 billion ($6.12 billion)"

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Yes 10000 MW is little and doesn't worth all the effort but all the recent news are talking about 2.5 MILLION MW. That would be something.

 

[chinois49]

Solar panel efficiency 25%
Average annual solar radiation arriving at the top of the Earth's atmosphere is roughly 1366 W/m
=> 1m² of this solar panel weigt 1,4g
The space power plant is 73km² tall....

 

[SinoSoldier]

There is a rumor that the TK-1 satellite will be launched on February 28, 2017 by a KT-2A launch vehicle. Has anybody heard about this? I had thought that the KT-2A never made it to the prototype stage.

 

[SinoSoldier]

First photo of the Tianzhou's accompanying space telescope.



The mirror (Silicon carbide) is 2 meters in diameter and the entire telescope weighs 10 tons (in comparison the Hubble had a 2.4 meter diameter mirror and the James Webb will have a total diameter of 6.5 meters, comprised of multiple mirrors).