Re: Chinese Satellites
A very good from Nasaspaceflight
With two successful launches already under their belts for 2012, the Chinese are aiming to advance on their record-breaking 2011 with an ambitious schedule which includes two milestone crewed space missions – the first of which is expected to launch in March.
A total of 24 launches may take place this year, further laying the foundations for the rest of the decade.
Chinese 2012 Schedule:
With the Russian space industry enduring a problematic 2011, and the United States – who are now reliant on the Russians – heading into the opening full 12 month period of their multi-year Human Space Flight blackout since the retirement of the Space Shuttle, China are aiming to advance their position with two manned space missions that include a number of important objectives.
Shenzhou-9 and the Shenzhou-10 – with preliminary analysis pointing to the SZ-9 launch in March – still remains without a confirmed composition of the crew. However, the main objective of the mission will be the first manned docking of the Chinese space program.
The multi-day mission will also test crew objectives on board the TianGong-1 space module.
Launch of SZ-10 could probably take place in the September/October timeframe, likely carrying the first female yuhangyuan (or using the more common term in the West, taikonaut) into orbit. It is expected that a three person crew will launch on SZ-10 on a two to three week mission involving TG-1.
This year will also see the launch of a new tracking and data relay, with the TianLian-1 satellite further improving communications with the Chinese manned and unmanned space vehicles.
China is also preparing the launch of several navigation satellites
possibly including the first double Compass launches on a single Long March 3B (Chang Zheng-3B) rocket.
Meteorological forecasts will be improved with the launch of two new satellites, the FengYun-2F – which has already launched successfully (January 13), to be joined by the first satellite of the FY-3 Batch 2 series, the FengYun-3C.
The Apstar-7 and Apstar-7B (ZX-12 ZhongXing-12) will also be sent into orbit as well as several remote sensing, scientific and applications satellites, including several satellites that have resulted from the cooperation with other countries (Venezuela, Turkey, Brazil and possibly Pakistan).
Click here for the current manifest projections from 2012 to 2028.
The next five years:
At the end of 2011, the Chinese State Council’s Information Office issued a white paper on the development of the space industry since 2006 and the major tasks for the next five years.
The white paper titled “China’s Space Activities in 2011″ was the third white paper on the country’s space activities issued by the State Council Information Office, following the one in 2000 and another in 2006.
Referencing the development of space technologies, the white paper said that the Chang Zheng (Long March) series of rockets have been improved and major progress has been made in the development of new-generation launch vehicles.
So far, China has also developed the FengYun (wind and cloud), HaiYang (ocean), ZiYuan (resources), Yaogan (remote-sensing) and TianHui (space mapping) satellite series, plus a constellation of small satellites for environmental and disaster monitoring and forecasting.
FengYun satellites are now capable of global, three-dimensional and multi-spectral quantitative observation, and the first HaiYang dynamics environmental satellite – launched in August, 2011 – is capable of all-weather and full-time microwave observation.
The paper also noted China has earned success in its high-capacity geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) satellite communications platform, space-based data relays, tracking, telemetry and command (TT&C), and other key technologies, showing remarkable improvement in the technical performance of China’s satellites and in voice, data, and radio and television communications.
China was also boosted by the Beidou regional navigation system, consisting of five GEO satellites, five inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellites and four medium-Earth-orbit (MEO) satellites. Since April 2007, China has launched 10 such satellites and has been able to provide trial services for Asia-Pacific users.
The white paper said China has improved its three existing launch sites in Jiuquan, Xichang and Taiyuan, enhancing their comprehensive test capabilities and high-intensity launching capabilities, and that China is building a new space launch site in Hainan to accommodate the launch of new-generation launch vehicles.
China has improved its TT&C ground stations and ships, and has established a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) network comprising four observation stations and a data processing center, indicating that China has acquired space-based TT&C capabilities.
At present, China’s TT&C network is expanding from the ground to space, and from geospace TT&C to deep-space TT&C. The network is able to not only satisfy satellite TT&C demands, but also support human spaceflight and deep-space exploration.
The white paper also revealed that using the Shijian satellites and Shenzhou spaceship, China has carried out space experiments in life science, materials science, fluid mechanics and other fields under conditions of microgravity and strong radiation. It has also conducted experiments on crop breeding in space.
Space industry was classed by the Chinese government an important part of the nation’s overall development strategy and adhered to exploration and utilization of outer space for peaceful purposes.
Over the past years, China has ranked among the world’s leading countries in certain major areas of space technology, and the next five years there will be new opportunities to the country’s space industry.
At the same time, China aims to work together with the international community to maintain a peaceful and clean outer space and endeavor to promote world peace and development, the document noted.
Major tasks listed in the white paper for the next five years include space transportation system, Earth satellites, human spaceflights and deep-space exploration.
The next major important step for China is the launch of the manned the Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10 missions to achieve a manned rendezvous and docking with the in-orbit TG-1 Tiangong-1 orbital module.
On the next five years China also plans to launch space laboratories (TG-2 TianGong-2 and possibly TG-3 TianGong-3), manned spaceship (Shenzhou) and space freighters (based on the Shenzhou and TianGong technology), and will start a research on the preliminary plan for a human landing on the moon.
As an important part of deep-space exploration, the country’s lunar probe projects follow the three step roadmap. orbiting, landing and returning.
In next five years, the country plans to launch orbiters for lunar soft landing, roving and surveying to implement the second stage of lunar exploration, then it will start the third-stage project of sampling the moon’s surface matters and get those samples back to Earth, the white paper added.
In addition, China will build a space infrastructure frame composed of Earth observation satellites, communications and broadcasting satellites, plus navigation and positioning satellites.
China will also begin monitoring space debris and small near-Earth celestial bodies and develop collision pre-warning work in the next five years, setting-up a design and assess system of space debris mitigation, and to take measures to reduce space debris left by post-task spacecraft and launch vehicles. It will also experiment with digital simulation of space debris collisions, and build a system to protect spacecraft from space debris.
Other important noted include the development of new Long March (Chang Zheng) launchers. China is developing the Chang Zheng-5, Chang Zheng-6 and Chang Zheng-7, in the next five years.
The Chang Zheng-5 will use non-toxic and pollution-free propellant, and will be capable of placing 25,000 kg of payload into the near-Earth orbit, or placing 14,000 kg of payload into the GEO orbit.
While the Chang Zheng-6 will be a new type of high-speed response launch vehicle which will be capable of placing not less than 1,000 kg of payload into a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 700 km, the Chang Zheng-7 will be capable of placing 5,500 kg of payload into a sun-synchronous orbit at a height of 700 km, according to the white paper.
The country will also conduct special demonstrations and pre-research on key technologies for heavy-lift launch vehicles – as the Chinese opt to concur with NASA’s approach of requiring a HLV as the flagship vehicle for their exploration ambitions.
