China's Space Program Thread II

[taxiya]

I was searching for more information about the the tanks of CZ-9 and found this article from 2016

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It reported on the fabrication of the ring. The manufacture is "Southwest Aluminium". They made a ring of 9m in 2015, then in 2016 they made a 10m ring. The article also stated that the reason of 10m ring was CZ-9's evolving study.

Two things I can make out of:
1. I consider the ring being the most challenging key tech of the tank because it is one piece forged. All other pieces like bulkhead are welded from smaller piece. So if the 10m ring takes only a year later than 9m ring, the 10m tank should be close to completion.
2. The article proves that the recent single stick versions of CZ-9 have been under consideration long before 2015. Maybe just after the 2011 version were finalized.

 

[SanWenYu]

China is developing ultra-low orbit satellite constellations for space-based remote sensing. Work on the first such satellite is under way and it is expected to be ready for launch in Sept, 2023.

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科技日报北京3月2日电 (记者付毅飞)在全国政协十四届一次会议召开前夕，全国政协委员、中国航天科工二院(以下简称二院)院长宋晓明透露，二院正在规划超低轨卫星星座建设，目前正在开展首发星研制，预计9月具备发射条件。

据悉，首发星成功入轨后，将对超低轨道飞行技术、高分辨率对地成像技术、星载智能处理、信息直达用户终端等关键技术进行演示验证和应用示范。

超低轨道通常指150公里至300公里高度的轨道。相较于传统轨道，超低轨飞行可有效降低卫星研制和发射成本、提升信息获取和传输效率，适用于卫星批量化生产和高密度发射。以遥感应用为例，在达到同等分辨率性能前提下，超低轨卫星可实现重量、成本大幅下降。

“十四五”期间，我国提出打造全球覆盖、高效运行的遥感空间基础设施体系。宋晓明表示，面对更高分辨率、更短重访周期和更快传输速度等迫切需求，二院充分发挥自身在小卫星、低轨通信、智能制造等方面的综合优势，基于超低轨道开展超低轨卫星星座建设，力求以较低成本实现匹敌传统轨道卫星系统的探测性能，以充足的卫星数量获取超过传统轨道的时间响应性能，以卫星快速批量化制造与发射能力支撑星座建设和应用效能，打造以多快好省为特色的超低轨空间基础设施，孵化卫星信息直接服务大众的新型产业生态。

 

[pipaster]

Video of the second Shenzhou 15 spacewalk.

 

[escobar]

China is developing ultra-low orbit satellite constellations for space-based remote sensing. Work on the first such satellite is under way and it is expected to be ready for launch in Sept, 2023.

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科技日报北京3月2日电 (记者付毅飞)在全国政协十四届一次会议召开前夕，全国政协委员、中国航天科工二院(以下简称二院)院长宋晓明透露，二院正在规划超低轨卫星星座建设，目前正在开展首发星研制，预计9月具备发射条件。

据悉，首发星成功入轨后，将对超低轨道飞行技术、高分辨率对地成像技术、星载智能处理、信息直达用户终端等关键技术进行演示验证和应用示范。

超低轨道通常指150公里至300公里高度的轨道。相较于传统轨道，超低轨飞行可有效降低卫星研制和发射成本、提升信息获取和传输效率，适用于卫星批量化生产和高密度发射。以遥感应用为例，在达到同等分辨率性能前提下，超低轨卫星可实现重量、成本大幅下降。

“十四五”期间，我国提出打造全球覆盖、高效运行的遥感空间基础设施体系。宋晓明表示，面对更高分辨率、更短重访周期和更快传输速度等迫切需求，二院充分发挥自身在小卫星、低轨通信、智能制造等方面的综合优势，基于超低轨道开展超低轨卫星星座建设，力求以较低成本实现匹敌传统轨道卫星系统的探测性能，以充足的卫星数量获取超过传统轨道的时间响应性能，以卫星快速批量化制造与发射能力支撑星座建设和应用效能，打造以多快好省为特色的超低轨空间基础设施，孵化卫星信息直接服务大众的新型产业生态。

Would be interesting to know if this VLEO sat uses air-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP).

Very Low orbit spacecraft can significantly reduce the cost of launch, effectively improving the resolution of the instrument to obtain higher Earth observation accuracy. However, due to the particularity and complexity of the low-orbit environment, the long-term residence of low-orbit S/C is faced with lots of difficulties. The development of low-orbit spacecraftis seriously restricted by the problems of short life of satellites and expensive fuel supply. If we can make full use of the thin atmosphere in the low-orbit environment as the propellant for the propulsion system to maintain the orbit speed of the spacecraft, we can greatly reduce the weight of the propellant carried and extend the lifetime of the spacecraft. Therefore, as a new technology of low-orbit spacecraft, atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion technology will meet the supply demand, so as to greatly reduce the cost and prolong the lifetime of spacecraft, which has a great economic benefit.

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[by78]

More images taken by the Taijing-4 (泰景-4) X-band SAR observation radar. Resolution is better than 1m.

 

[siegecrossbow]

More images taken by the Taijing-4 (泰景-4) X-band SAR observation radar. Resolution is better than 1m.

You neglected to mention the location being spied upon.

 

[by78]

You neglected to mention the location being spied upon.

I know. It was a deliberate omission because I don't want the thread derailed.

 

[by78]

The first prototype of a 10-meter diameter propellant tank for the Long March 9 rocket.

More images of the prototype 10-meter-diameter propellant tank for the Long March 9 rocket.

 

[taxiya]

You neglected to mention the location being spied upon.

an island to the southeast.

 

[Quickie]

It looks like China's first manned moon missions will likely be done using the 921 rocket, CZ-10 as the launcher which is said to be debuting in 2027.