China's Space Program Thread II
- Thread starter Blitzo
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by78
General
Zhongke has successfully completed a engine test run on its newly constructed liquid engine test bench. The performance parameters of the test bench have met all design requirements.
The engine tested was the company's 30-ton LOX/Kerosene engine. Does anyone know anything more about this engine?
The engine tested was the company's 30-ton LOX/Kerosene engine. Does anyone know anything more about this engine?
by78
General
An academic paper on the 1.5tf (15kN) main engine for China's new manned spacecraft that will be used for landing on the moon. The engine has passed both ground and high-altitude hot test runs, with its performance parameters meeting all design requirements. The engine has demonstrated a single run duration of 1000 seconds in ground tests. In high-altitude tests, it has achieved nine consecutive engine start-stops and single run duration of 100 seconds.
As explained in my previous posts, the Chinese long term space resources plan spanning the entire Solar System, now officially disclosed to the public.
Wang Wei presented this at a Chinese Society of Astronautics meeting in Beijing on 19th August 2023, in a forum on 'Exploring the Universe and Developing Space Resources' (中国宇航学会第一届空间科学与试验学术交流会).
This begs the question, which new space launchers could be used to develop the asteroid belt, Ceres and Jupiter?
Wang Wei presented this at a Chinese Society of Astronautics meeting in Beijing on 19th August 2023, in a forum on 'Exploring the Universe and Developing Space Resources' (中国宇航学会第一届空间科学与试验学术交流会).
天工开物
2023-08-20
Wang Wei, affiliated to CASC & CAS, is proposing a four-stage roadmap for creating a space resources utilization system spanning the entire Solar System. Far-sighted, ambitious to say the least.
The initiative is called "天工开物" Tiangong Kaiwu, taking its name from Ming Dynasty scientist Song Yingxing's work "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature."
Water as fuel: proposes development of strategic mineral resources as the goal, based on utilization of space water-ice resources, using Lagrangian points 1+2 b/w celestial bodies as nodes & build a gradually build space resource development system out into the Solar System.
Plan is to gradually construct water-ice resource development facilities on the moon, NEAs, Mars, main-belt asteroids & moons of Jupiter satellites, and gradually form a system using Earth-Moon L1, Sun-Earth L1/L2, Sun-Earth L1/L2, Ceres, and Sun-Jupiter L1.
This requires resource infrastructure inc. supply stations, transportation routes, mining & processing stations, and focus on access space, low-cost return to Earth, key tech, etc, to develop large-scale and commercial space resource development & utilization capabilities.
This notion has stage goals of "exploration, mining, and utilization" with stage posts at 2035, 2050, 2075 & 2100. This will "promote the development and utilization of space resources in my country to achieve leapfrogging style development," says Wang.
Wang: "Just like the miracles created in the Age of Great Navigation, the 'great space age' the development of space resources will create the next miracle in the history of human development and bring new prosperity to human civilization."
There's lots to consider regarding this, such as what level of support it can attain, China's budgets and economy, technological and economic feasibility, and how this works within the Outer Space Treaty, and many different interpretations from outside.
▲ Academician Wang Wei made a special report on "Development Vision of Space Resource Development System". 王巍院士作《太空资源开发体系发展设想》特邀报告
This begs the question, which new space launchers could be used to develop the asteroid belt, Ceres and Jupiter?
