China's Space Program News Thread

[Anlsvrthng]

CCTV13 confirmed (in an official interview, not some BS speculative show) that China is working on a spaceplane that can take off and land from conventional airports.

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This looks like the last stage of a normal rocket.

I don't think that it is possible to use checmial spaceplane without any external booster/stage rockets.
The specific impulse of the possible fuels are too low for this purpose, and the best fuell ( hydrogen) has very low density.
But even with Hydrogen you get only 4.4km/sec exhaust speed,
If you take off from an airstrip then you need something like 9-11 km/sec delta V, means close to (e on the third ) ratio between the empty and full rocket.

Back on the envelope, the empty weight is 100 tonns, the full weight is 1200( say 1300).


If the rocket air breathing it can change it slightly, but it can make diference only in small speed, it can save say 2-3km/sec delta from the 9, by increasing the mass of it.

With nuclear propulsion it can be possible, however no one like the idea of it : D

 

[siegecrossbow]

This looks like the last stage of a normal rocket.

I don't think that it is possible to use checmial spaceplane without any external booster/stage rockets.
The specific impulse of the possible fuels are too low for this purpose, and the best fuell ( hydrogen) has very low density.
But even with Hydrogen you get only 4.4km/sec exhaust speed,
If you take off from an airstrip then you need something like 9-11 km/sec delta V, means close to (e on the third ) ratio between the empty and full rocket.

Back on the envelope, the empty weight is 100 tonns, the full weight is 1200( say 1300).


If the rocket air breathing it can change it slightly, but it can make diference only in small speed, it can save say 2-3km/sec delta from the 9, by increasing the mass of it.

With nuclear propulsion it can be possible, however no one like the idea of it : D

They are using pulse-detonation engines. Right now it is still under study. Give it some time.

 

[Quickie]

This looks like the last stage of a normal rocket.

I don't think that it is possible to use checmial spaceplane without any external booster/stage rockets.
The specific impulse of the possible fuels are too low for this purpose, and the best fuell ( hydrogen) has very low density.
But even with Hydrogen you get only 4.4km/sec exhaust speed,
If you take off from an airstrip then you need something like 9-11 km/sec delta V, means close to (e on the third ) ratio between the empty and full rocket.

Back on the envelope, the empty weight is 100 tonns, the full weight is 1200( say 1300).


If the rocket air breathing it can change it slightly, but it can make diference only in small speed, it can save say 2-3km/sec delta from the 9, by increasing the mass of it.

With nuclear propulsion it can be possible, however no one like the idea of it : D

The space-plane, if it's based on a combination of engines including Ramjet/Scram jet engines, would be flying in the thin air of the upper atmosphere and not actually anywhere near space environment.

 

[Anlsvrthng]

The space-plane, if it's based on a combination of engines including Ramjet/Scram jet engines, would be flying in the thin air of the upper atmosphere and not actually anywhere near space environment.

As I remember the scramjet with kerosene can't go above 6-8 match, and the hydrogen based can accelerate to the low ten match numbers.
It is a bit harder to calculate the maximum speeds, in the case of the ramjet is relative easy, but the scramjet more comlicated.


However the hydrogen doesn't help, the makes everything looks like a fat goose.

 

[Anlsvrthng]

They are using pulse-detonation engines. Right now it is still under study. Give it some time.

That does't help, unless they want to use micro nuclear bombs : )

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[Quickie]

As I remember the scramjet with kerosene can't go above 6-8 match, and the hydrogen based can accelerate to the low ten match numbers.
It is a bit harder to calculate the maximum speeds, in the case of the ramjet is relative easy, but the scramjet more comlicated.


However the hydrogen doesn't help, the makes everything looks like a fat goose.

I don't recall them saying they're aiming for very high mach numbers. Mach 6,7 or 8 would already be quite a milestone.

 

[Anlsvrthng]

I don't recall them saying they're aiming for very high mach numbers. Mach 6,7 or 8 would already be quite a milestone.

A spaceplane has to reach match 25 to get to low earth orbit.

So, anything slower than that is a fast aircraft, not a space plane/space launch vehicle.

 

[siegecrossbow]

A spaceplane has to reach match 25 to get to low earth orbit.

So, anything slower than that is a fast aircraft, not a space plane/space launch vehicle.

Alternatively they might be aiming for a white knight/spaceship one combo with a carrier plane... The report was rather vague on the specifics.

 

[SilentObserver]

System Concept:
The two-stage-to-orbit fully-reusable aerospace vehicle takes off horizontally from airport, accelerates to climb up in the atmosphere, and conducts separation between fist stage and second stage at the altitude of 30-40km. After that, the first stage returns to land horizontally, while the second stage continues climbing up to enter the near-ear orbit. After transport mission is completed, the second stage will conduct reentry for return, and then land horizontally. Main technical specifications of the vehicle are as follows.

• Take-off mass: 100-150t
• Payload: it can launch 2t-load to near-earth orbit at the altitude of 200-800km
• Reusable capability: 100 times

 

[Skywatcher]

Wonder if and when they'll build a larger Tengyun for bigger satellites?