China's Space Program News Thread

[Ultra]

Another Beidou launch...

I have always thought its a bit odd that chinese rocket directs its booster rocket's thrusters OUTWARDS.

I am guessing its for stability reason, but I think a lot of upward thrusts are lost when you direct thrust at an angle (instead of straight down).

As a comparison:

Delta IV

SpaceX Falcon

Proton M

There are more examples like HII-B, Ariane, GSLV...etc etc.

 

[Ultra]

Before you guys say this is a one-off thing, it is quite consistent in almost all of Chinese's rocket family.

This one you can clearly see the rockets are spread outwards.......
That's a lot of loss in upward thrust.

 

[Rachmaninov]

Before you guys say this is a one-off thing, it is quite consistent in almost all of Chinese's rocket family.

This one you can clearly see the rockets are spread outwards.......
That's a lot of loss in upward thrust.

It's only a 1% loss in upward thrust if it's 8 degrees from the vertical, and judging from the photos it's not even close to 8 degrees yet. Aerodynamic considerations will be way more significant in this regard when it's still within the lower atmosphere.

 

[Equation]

I think she is a high school student.

I'll wait.

 

[by78]

I believe the yellow platform (in the middle) is the sea launchpad for the LM-11 solid-fuel rocket, which is scheduled to go up in early June.

 

[taxiya]

The part in red circle seems to be engine exhaust chute. But on a platform with control room in green circle is strange. Or the "chute" is not engine exhaust chute?

Another thing is the yellow lift cranes seem to be integral part of the red platforms. It seems that some assembly work will be done on the red platforms and than transported to other (yellow) platform.

A third thing is that all three red platforms look the same.

 

[taxiya]

Continue #4777,
Considering "Odyssey" also has hanger and helipad on the same platform, it is not surprising if the red platforms are actually the launch pads. But then what is the yellow one, it seems structurely different (more yellow lift cranes and different shape of tower), or it is just an unfinished red one?

There are at least three identical red ones, LM11's shortest launch preparation is 24 hours, three platform will give a maximum 3 launches in a single day. That is "crazy".

 

[2=GT]

Space Station Tianhe core module

 

[taxiya]

500ton class commercial solid rocket successfully tested (1st stage, sub propellant loading). It is claimed to be China's largest (in diameter) and most powerful solid rocket (section).

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Considering the 3m 2 section solid rocket was tested in 2016. This new rocket must be greater in diameter. I wonder if it is the 4.2m composite casing rocket reported in 2017. The 2017 report was about 2.2m composite rocket. In that report, it was said the 4.2m rocket will be used on KZ-21 and KZ-31.

Note, the 2.2m and 4.2m rockets are developed by the same entity different than the 3m rocket.

 

[Hendrik_2000]

China launches new BeiDou navigation satellite
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-18 01:12:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

XICHANG, May 17 (Xinhua) -- China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 11:48 p.m. Friday.

Launched on a Long March-3C carrier rocket, it is the fourth BDS-2 backup satellite and the 45th satellite of the BDS satellite family.

After being sent to the geostationary earth orbit and in-orbit tests, it will be connected to the BDS to provide users with more reliable services and enhance the stability of the constellation.

The BDS-2 system has provided stable and reliable service since it went into operation, and its positioning accuracy has improved from 10 meters to six meters.

The BDS-2 system and BDS-3 system will jointly provide services before October 2020, and after that the BDS-3 system will be the main force.

China began to construct its BDS navigation system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, in the 1990s. It started serving China with its BDS-1 system in 2000 and started serving the Asia-Pacific region with its BDS-2 system in 2012. China will complete the BDS global network by 2020.

The launch was the 304th flight mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets.