China's Space Program News Thread

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KampfAlwin

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This is related to post #6,964 (spaceplane engine) but with engine tests instead of pre-cooler. Article states:

- " conducted a key flight test by a conceptual demonstration prototype to verify the propulsion shift mechanism between ramjet and rocket engine."
- 2 tons to LEO
- Up to 100 times reusability
- Flying prototype between 2026-30, commercially available by 2030

Let's hope China completes this successfully before others, or else it'll be called a copy.
 

H2O

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This is related to post #6,964 (spaceplane engine) but with engine tests instead of pre-cooler. Article states:

- " conducted a key flight test by a conceptual demonstration prototype to verify the propulsion shift mechanism between ramjet and rocket engine."
- 2 tons to LEO
- Up to 100 times reusability
- Flying prototype between 2026-30, commercially available by 2030

Let's hope China completes this successfully before others, or else it'll be called a copy.

So basically a smaller manned version of Skylon. Just two tons? That seems rather low.
 

KampfAlwin

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So basically a smaller manned version of Skylon. Just two tons? That seems rather low.
Yeah I know, It's 2 stages to orbit, judging by this pic:
1619419049208.png
The concept show here fits with Skylon, but for some reason they decided to go for a big spaceplane that looks like Skylon carrying a smaller one. Maybe it's just a early version? If it works well, maybe they'll upgrade to SSTO? Who knows.

What's even more confusing is that this
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from 2018 states that CASC is working on an SSTO, the same CASC that is working on a rocket launched spaceplane. CASIC(not CASC) is the one that is working on this double stage to orbit from my post before...
 

Skywatcher

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Yeah I know, It's 2 stages to orbit, judging by this pic:
View attachment 71315
The concept show here fits with Skylon, but for some reason they decided to go for a big spaceplane that looks like Skylon carrying a smaller one. Maybe it's just a early version? If it works well, maybe they'll upgrade to SSTO? Who knows.

What's even more confusing is that this
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from 2018 states that CASC is working on an SSTO, the same CASC that is working on a rocket launched spaceplane. CASIC(not CASC) is the one that is working on this double stage to orbit from my post before...
If I may, CASIC is going for the more immediately available route, with the 2 ton payload, DSTO (the second stage is likely to be in the 40-50 ton mass range, as that's about the mass of the second+ stages of the Vega, which is also about 2 ton LEO payload). I guess the graphics assume that the CASIC DSTO would be using precooled engines (that doesn't preclude CASC from using precooled engines too, for its SSTO).
 

supercat

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China developing heavy-lift launch vehicle to pave way for lunar base​

China is developing a heavy-lift launch vehicle to support the establishment of a lunar base and a larger-scale lunar exploration mission, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation said on April 26 on Weibo.

The country is developing a heavy-lift launch vehicle with a 10-meter diameter and a lunar orbital capacity of no less than 50 tons, the company's designer, Mou Yu, said at the China Space Conference 2021.

Mou said that China is now using circumlunar rendezvous and docking to achieve a manned lunar landing and that a near-Earth orbit capacity of 27 tons is sufficient to spread the pressure of rocket launches through a comprehensive program.

The development of a heavy-lift rocket could reduce the number of circumlunar dockings and improve launch efficiency, Mou said.

The China National Space Administration announced on April 23 a partnership with Russia to build an international lunar research station.

In addition, China's lunar exploration mission Chang'e 6 will land on the back of the Moon around 2024, with sample return and exploration at the South Pole-Aitken basin.
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taxiya

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Does a perfect job? The Long March 2/3 are hypergolic (toxic fuel) rockets with launch sites deep inside China which regularly drop stages close to where people live. That is why they are building the launch site at Hainan and why they bothered to develop Long March 7/8. Building a new inland launch pad for those rockets is a step backwards.
Don't get what you want to say, but certainly you started thinking without a clue of what China's requirement is.

First off, who said China is building new inland launch pad for those old rockets?

Secondly, the inland launch pad will be there FOREVER. It is a strategic backup, regardless the site of dropped stages. They will try to minimize the size of dropping area, but never abandon the sites. You can read the requirement of "New high altitude launcher" (LM-8 and LM-7A), there is a specific requirement of capacity from Xichang and Jiuquan sites. Also the requirement of them being 3.35m max in diameter, that is for inland rail transportation.

Thirdly, mind you, LM-7 and 8 have to be able to be launched inland, that is what the state demands.

Fourth, hypergolic is quicker than cryogenic (LO2 included) to launch. It can be fueled and wait on the pad for longer time. Another must by military until the capacity can be replaced by solid rocket, don't know when that will happen yet.

The perfect job includes the capability of launching most of satellite in a time of war when the coastal sites are in danger. The world is not so rosy as you wish and China is certainly preparing for the worst case scenario.

I am aware that you are a fan of SpaceX etc. But we are talking about China. And not only technological demand but strategic and security demand. Think about SpaceX as a Ferrari, but LM-2/3 are the rough off-roads, orange and apple.
 
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taxiya

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Is that right?
You should not trust the renditions, even the one from official source. Some times the media worker are so lazy that they just copy/paste resources they can find from anywhere. Don't know if you know the incident of a poster from PLA site using some CG model of US equipment. That is how bad these people can be.
 
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