China's Space Program Thread II

[by78]

The YF-209 80-ton open-cycle LOX/methane engine has successfully completed its first hot test run today.

More detailed specs of the reusable YF-209 LOX/Methane engine being developed by the 6th Academy of CASC. It's gone through extensive testing and is ready for flight.

1) Atmosphere variant:
– Thrust (sea level): 80 tons
– Thrust-to-weight ratio: 90
– Specific impulse: 293s

2) Vacuum variant:
– Trust (vacuum): 96 tons
– thrust-to-weight ratio: 80
– Specific impulse: 353s

 

[bd popeye]

Yes I know similar photos have been posted in post #4877

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Technicians check the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) at a workshop of the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, East China, Nov 4, 2024. [All Photos/Xinhua]

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The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) is a joint mission between the CAS and the European Space Agency (ESA) that aims to deepen the understanding of the Sun-Earth connection by observing the dynamic interaction between the solar wind and the Earth's magnetosphere.

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A technician measures the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) at a workshop of the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, East China, Nov 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

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The SMILE satellite has completed the development work in China, including satellite testing, system interface testing and environmental experiments, according to the National Space Science Center of the CAS.

The SMILE is about to depart for Europe. It is scheduled for launch by the end of 2025 from Europe's space launch site in Kourou, French Guiana, by Arianespace's Vega-C launch vehicle.

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Technicians pack the battery pack of the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE) at a workshop of the Innovation Academy for Microsatellites of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Shanghai, East China, Nov 4, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

 

[GulfLander]

Is this real?

"Chinese scientists ‘build real-life Death Star’ that can wipe out enemy’s satellites in orbit in terrifying breakthrough
The new weapon inspired by Star Wars can be used to target military satellites in orbit" by Vera Demertzis

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[Wrought]

Is this real?

"Chinese scientists ‘build real-life Death Star’ that can wipe out enemy’s satellites in orbit in terrifying breakthrough
The new weapon inspired by Star Wars can be used to target military satellites in orbit" by Vera Demertzis

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Ask Darth Vader.

 

[Asug]

Is this real?

"Chinese scientists ‘build real-life Death Star’ that can wipe out enemy’s satellites in orbit in terrifying breakthrough
The new weapon inspired by Star Wars can be used to target military satellites in orbit" by Vera Demertzis

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cit. "wrote in a paper published in the Chinese academic journal Modern Navigation in October."
Сan anyone find a link to this article? (journalists are usually not very accurate)

 

[taxiya]

A model of the fully reusable Long March 9 at Zhuhai Airshow. An accompanying placard states that YF-215 (LOX/Methane) is under development. Some specs are listed below:
– Thrust (vacuum): 200 tons
– Combustion chamber pressure: 18MPa
– Vacuum specific impulse: 341 seconds
– Diameter: 2m
– Height: 4m

It seems that the PR work of China is getting worse and worse. The placard above is inconsistence in every detail about YF-215.


The methane version CZ-9 is to have 30 engines in the 1st stage with total 6100t thrust at sea level. That means 203t per engine at sea level. This matches the papers that vacum thrust 223t, impulse 349s, chamber pressue 25Mpa.



UNLESS, CZ-9 has been downsized significantly or number of engines increased.

 

[by78]

The AS-01 SAR remote sensing satellite developed by Sixiang Technology (四象科技). It features a phased array antenna and has sub-meter resolution. It will remote sensing services to China's mining industry. Launch is scheduled for July.

It's been confirmed that Sixiang's AS-01 will be launched together with AS-02 and AS-03 in July. All three are remote-sensing satellites, with AS-02 being and optical satellite and AS-03 being an infrared satellite.

SAR images captured by the commercial remote sensing Sixiang AS-01 satellite.

 

[by78]

The maiden flight of Galactic Energy's Pallas-1 rocket will take place at the end of 2024, according to Mr. Xing Boqiang (邢柏强), director of propulsion systems manufacturing. The company is currently making final optimizations to the propulsion system and will soon carry out fairing separation and vibration tests in preparation for the maiden launch.

Galactic Energy has shifted the maiden flight of Pallas-1 slightly to the right –– to the first quarter of 2025.

 

[by78]

Hainan Commercial Spaceport has begun launch rehearsals for the upcoming fifth flight of Long March 8, which will be the maiden launch carried out by the newly constructed spaceport.

 

[by78]

LandSpace is developing an improved variant of the Zhuque-2 rocket, which will have a payload capacity of four tons to SSO (500km). Flight test is planned for next year.

Mission badge for the upcoming first flight of the improved Zhuque-2 rocket, which will take place sometime this winter.