China's Space Program News Thread

[Asymptote]

Re: China’s Manned Military Space Ambitions

Darth Sidious, dude, are you trying to play a Jedi mind trick on us? I know in the universe that you live in there are weapons in space!

All kidding aside, In reality in this forum it is esential that you post some proof to your claims or the moderators will delete your post. BS is not tolerated.

I myself have never heard of any weapons in space. Only rumours. If you do indeed have some factual information please post it!

I'm sure some would consider military sattlites as weapons. But none that I know of have actual weapons attached.

BD Popeye, I am surprise you don't know these things!

For walter and BD Popeye :

"In addition to reconnaissance equipment, Almaz was equipped with a 23mm Nudelman rapid-fire cannon mounted in a stationary position to the forward belly of the station. This self-lubricating cannon was modified from the tail-gun of Tu-22 jet bomber and was capable of firing 950 rounds per minute. Each 200 gram projectile flew at a speed of 690 m/s relative to the station. To aim the cannon the entire station would be quickly reoriented facing the threat."

Salyut 3/OPS-2 conducted a successful test firing on a target satellite remotely with the station unmanned due to concerns over excessive vibration and noise.

OPS-4 was to have featured two unguided missiles instead of the aircraft cannon, but this system has not been shown publicly and may have never been fully manufactured.

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[bd popeye]

Re: china manned space - news and views

Asymptote, Sorry for not responding but I do know these things. I was referring to fully operational weapons... not test weapons that have never fully been deployed.

 

[Red___Sword]

Re: china manned space - news and views

Asymptote, Sorry for not responding but I do know these things. I was referring to fully operational weapons... not test weapons that have never fully been deployed.

It really depending on how to view the content of "weapen".

Among common Chinese, there is this saying:"Brick is not a weapon, but bad guys use it as one."

Those "space-craft" orbiting our planet, made (used) by numerous countrys, play a vital part in modern warfare, testifing "Brick Kills".

"Non-weaponize of outer space." is a pretty good idea, and claimed by many countrys with good looking attitude. But IDEA is IDEAL, and it means the REALITY is not that ideal yet. Things keeps happening, as long as we know where to look.

 

[Red___Sword]

Re: china manned space - news and views

That's why "Non-weaponize", "Non-militarize" are some really politically-right key words. It dose not take to be a laser-cannon-space-platform to make people dead.

Sadly, once the space race begins, there is no turning back.

 

[Red___Sword]

Re: china manned space - news and views

.... China's 两弹一星 project (literally translates to nuclear and missile program) .

Buddy you are pretty familiar with "China's stance/standpoint".

One small thing: 两弹一星 means 原子弹，导弹，卫星。 Which is "nuke, missle and satellite" projcts.

People believe these were the vital stuff that made any actual-invasion to China by anyone, an "unprofitable business" - at the dark years of "no one actually trust anyone" kind of cold war era.

A footnote made by Chairman Mao zedong, (which appreciated by all the benificial descendents of modern Chinese) says:"两弹一星，勒紧裤腰带也要搞出来。" Loosely translate: We need (and shall be) accomplish 两弹一星 projects even sacrifice (in a controlled degree) the welfare of THIS GENERATION.

 

[Red___Sword]

Re: china manned space - news and views

人民网西昌4月10日电 2011年4月10日4时47分，我国在西昌卫星发射中心用“长征三号甲”运载火箭，成功将第八颗北斗导航卫星送入预定轨道。据了解，这是今年北斗导航系统组网卫星的第一次发射，同时也是我国“十二五”期间的首次航天发射。

Anyone posted it yet?

Rough translation: Apr 10th 2011, 04:47 (Beijing Time), XiChang satellite launching facility has launched a "ChangZheng III A" carrier rocket, successfully sending the 8th COMPASS navigational satellite into pre-set orbit. As known, this is the first launch of this year for the COMPASS globle navigational satellite system' "network building"(组网) efforts, and it is also the first lauch during national "12-5" 5 year planing era.

 

[bladerunner]

Re: china manned space - news and views

Im not sure whether it was this thread or some other where a question was asked on whether Chinese scientists could have achieved what the scientists/engineers have achieved over at Space X.

If this article can be believed, the Chinese can not hope to match Space X launch rates. So heres a thought maybe they might outsource the work back to the U.S.

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SpaceX founder defends firm's low rocket-launching prices


There is at least one thing America can do cheaper than China: build launch vehicles.

The founder of Hawthorne-based Space Exploration Technologies this week defended his company's launch prices, which are far less than any other rocket service.

Elon Musk, who in 2002 started the company better known as SpaceX, said on his blog that his rockets are "a clear case of American innovation trumping lower overseas labor rates."

"China has the fastest growing economy in the world. But the American free enterprise system, which allows anyone with a better mousetrap to compete, is what will ensure that the United States remains the world's greatest superpower of innovation," the native of South Africa wrote Wednesday.

Musk wrote the blog nearly three weeks after officials of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. acknowledged at a space conference that they could not match SpaceX's launch prices. The Chinese officials said that the South Bay firm's prices were very low for the launch services offered.

SpaceX charges $54 million for a standard flight to orbit of its Falcon 9 rocket, much cheaper than any other company.

SpaceX, which has a NASA contract to make 12 resupply missions to the International Space Station, says it will soon offer manned missions. Each astronaut would cost $20 million a seat. That is far lower than the $63 million cost per seat that NASA will pay to send its astronauts to the ISS via the Russian
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Soyuz once the last Space Shuttle is decommissioned later this year.

Musk insisted SpaceX's prices are legitimate and will decrease in the future.

"I recognize that our prices shatter the historical cost models of government-led developments, but these prices are not arbitrary, premised on capturing a dominant share of the market, or `teaser' rates meant to lure in an eager market only to be increased later," Musk said.

He added that his prices are "based on known costs and a demonstrated track record."

Furthermore, SpaceX would pay the cost of any cost overruns rather than have taxpayers foot the bill, he said.

SpaceX has been profitable each year since 2007, despite dramatic growth in operations and employment, he noted.

Helping secure its financial future, the company has more than 40 flights on its manifest with expected revenues of more than $3 billion, he said.

Musk said SpaceX intends to dramatically reduce its already low launch costs in the long term by developing rockets that can be reused.

"We will not be satisfied with our progress until we have achieved this long sought goal of the space industry," he said.

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[montyp165]

Re: china manned space - news and views

I give that story as much creedence as the second coming of Elvis. Elon Musk is not known for being the most honest and forthright individual especially concerning new products now, not to mention all the repeated on and off problems in both private and public US launch vehicle programs.

 

[LesAdieux]

the Long March 5

according to the aviation week, the Long March 5 will use "staged combustion" technology on its two major engines: the cryogenic engine and the LOX/kerocene engine. staged combustion technology is very efficient but very complex, while america and soviet used it on the main engines of their space shuttles, they have gone back to the old gas generator cycle recently, anyone knows why china continues to pursue this technology?

 

[Red___Sword]

Re: the Long March 5

according to the aviation week, the Long March 5 will use "staged combustion" technology on its two major engines: the cryogenic engine and the LOX/kerocene engine. staged combustion technology is very efficient but very complex, while america and soviet used it on the main engines of their space shuttles, they have gone back to the old gas generator cycle recently, anyone knows why china continues to pursue this technology?

Not many years ago, the computer graphics card are all using AGP socket, cause they found it "more promising" than the old PCI socket techonology.

PCI got breakthrough later, and nowadays, almost everybody using PCI-E socket for graphics card.

Funny anyone is considering "certain technology is superior than certain-other technology".