Китайский космос

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http://russian.news.cn/2018-06/05/c_137231492.htm

Китай подтвердил успешное получение данных от спутника "Гаофэнь-6"
Пекин, 5 июня /Синьхуа/ -- Академия наук Китая подтвердила, что один из его институтов в понедельник успешно отследил и получил снимки с недавно запущенного спутника наблюдения за поверхностью Земли "Гаофэнь-6".
Как сообщил Исследовательский институт аэрокосмической информации, пункт Миюнь Китайской наземной станции спутникового дистанционного зондирования получил первые данные наблюдения, переданные спутником "Гаофэнь-6". Всего за шесть минут были получены данные в объеме 40 ГБ.
Спутник "Гаофэнь-6" был запущен 2 июня с космодрома Цзюцюань /Северо-Западный Китай/ с помощью ракеты-носителя "Чанчжэн-2D" /"Великий поход-2D"/.
Проектный срок службы спутника "Гаофэнь-6" весом в 1064 кг составляет 8 лет. Он имеет аналогичные функции, как и его предшественник - "Гаофэнь-1", только с лучшими камерами. Получаемые новым спутником изображения с высоким разрешением могут охватывать обширные районы Земного шара, сообщило Государственное управление оборонной науки, техники и промышленности.
"Гаофэнь-6" предназначен, главным образом, для оценки урожая сельхозкультур, мониторинга стихийных бедствий, угрожающих сельскому хозяйству, оказания помощи в осуществлении сельхозпроектов, а также исследования лесных ресурсов и заболоченных угодий.

[zandr]

https://ria.ru/science/20180611/1522527758.html

Эксперт рассказал о рисках разработок космического вооружения в Китае
ЖЕНЕВА, 11 июн — РИА Новости. Китай активней США и России в гонке вооружений в космическом пространстве, особенно в области разработки систем противоспутникового оружия, заявил профессор факультета политологии Колумбийского университета, доктор наук Роберт Легволд на полях Международного Люксембургского форума по предотвращению ядерной катастрофы, который проходит в Женеве.
"Все три страны (Россия, Китай и США) активно работают над созданием противоспутникового оружия, что потенциально является крайне дестабилизирующим фактором. Китай особенно активен в этой области, поскольку она является ключевой для его защиты в возможной войне с применением обычных вооружений с Соединенными Штатами в Восточной Азии", — сказал он журналистам.
По словам Легволда, проблема заключается в том, что те же спутники раннего оповещения, которые играют ключевую роль в системах обычных вооружений военно-морских и военно-воздушных сил и средств США, также необходимы для раннего оповещения о ядерных атаках.
"Поэтому высок риск того, что использование Китаем противоспутникового оружия в конфликте с применением обычных вооружений может быть ошибочно истолковано Соединенными Штатами как часть нападения с применением ядерного оружия", — заключил эксперт.

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Синьхуа

http://russian.news.cn/2018-06/14/c_137253398.htm

Спутник-ретранслятор для лунного зонда "Чанъэ-4" вышел на ожидаемую орбиту
2018-06-14 14:20:11丨Russian.News.Cn

Пекин, 14 июня /Синьхуа/ -- Спутник-ретранслятор для лунного зонда "Чанъэ-4", который будет запущен в конце нынешнего года и, как ожидается, совершит мягкую посадку на обратной стороне Луны, вышел на намеченную орбиту, сообщило в четверг Государственное космическое управление КНР.

Спутник "Цюэцяо" /"Сорочий мост"/, который был запущен 21 мая с космодрома Сичан на юго-западе Китая, вышел на гало-орбиту вокруг точки Лагранжа L2 системы Земля-Луна примерно в 65 тыс. км от Луны 14 июня в 11:06 по пекинскому времени.

Это первый в мире спутник связи, который находится на этой орбите и заложит фундамент для миссии лунного зонда "Чанъэ-4", который предположительно совершит первую в истории человечества мягкую посадку на обратной стороне Луны, сказал президент Китайской академии космических технологий /CAST/ Чжан Хунтай.

Спойлер

Как сообщается, лунный зонд "Чанъэ-4" совершит первую в истории человечества посадку на обратной стороне Луны, но прямая связь с обратной стороны Луны невозможна, и решить эту проблему поможет спутник-ретранслятор, который будет отвечать за передачу сигналов между "Чанъэ-4" и наземной станцией.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/14/c_137253487.htm

Relay satellite for Chang'e-4 lunar probe enters orbit
Source: Xinhua | 2018-06-14 15:00:38 | Editor: mmm

BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- The relay satellite for the planned Chang'e-4 lunar probe, which is expected to land on the far side of the Moon at the end of the year, has entered orbit, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced Thursday.

The satellite named Queqiao (Magpie Bridge) launched on May 21 and entered the Halo orbit around the second Lagrangian (L2) point of the Earth-Moon system, about 65,000 km fr om the Moon, at 11:06 a.m. Thursday after a journey of more than 20 days.

"The satellite is the world's first communication satellite operating in that orbit, and will lay the foundation for the Chang'e-4, which is expected to become the world's first soft-landing, roving probe on the far side of the Moon," said Zhang Hongtai, president of the China Academy of Space Technology.

The concept of the Halo orbit around the Earth-Moon L2 point was first put forward by international space experts in 1950s.

While in orbit, the relay satellite can see both the Earth and the far side of the Moon. The satellite can stay in the Halo orbit for a long time due to its relatively low use of fuel, since the Earth's and Moon's gravity balances the orbital motion of the satellite.

"From Earth, the orbit looks like a halo of the Moon, which is wh ere it got its name," said Zhang Lihua, project manager of the relay satellite.

He said the Halo orbit was a three-dimensional irregular curve. It is extremely difficult and complex to maintain the satellite in orbit.

"If there is a tiny disturbance, such as gravitational disturbance from other planets or the Sun, the satellite will leave orbit. The orbit period is about 14 days. According to our current plan, we will conduct orbit maintenance every seven days," Zhang said.

"Queqiao is like a little kid running wild in orbit. If there's even the slightest negligence by our team, the satellite will be lost forever," said Guan Bin, a designer for the satellite's control system.

"It's a new type of orbit, we don't have any experience. We ran a number of simulations to make sure the design is feasible and reliable," Zhang said.

In order to set up a communication link between Earth and the planned Chang'e-4 lunar probe, astrophysicists must keep the satellite stable and control its altitude, angle and speed with high precision.

Next, the team will test the communication function of the relay satellite.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/14/c_137253874.htm

China, Saudi Arabia unveil lunar images gained from space cooperation
Source: Xinhua | 2018-06-14 19:16:40 | Editor: ZX

BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- China and Saudi Arabia on Thursday jointly unveiled three lunar images acquired through cooperation on the relay satellite mission for Chang'e-4 lunar probe.

This is an important cooperation achievement between China and Saudi Arabia in the relay satellite mission, the China National Space Administration said in a statement.

The relay satellite for the Chang'e-4 lunar probe, named Queqiao or Magpie Bridge, was launched on May 21 and entered the Halo orbit around the second Lagrangian (L2) point of the Earth-Moon system, about 65,000 km from the Moon, at 11:06 a.m. Thursday after a journey of more than 20 days.

An optical camera, developed by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology of Saudi Arabia, was installed on a micro satellite, named Longjiang-2, which was launched together with Queqiao.

The micro satellite is orbiting around the Moon. The camera, which began to work on May 28, has conducted observations of the Moon and acquired a series of clear lunar images and data.

According to a memorandum of understanding signed between China and Saudi Arabia on March 16, 2017, the two countries will share the scientific data in this cooperation.

China is pushing forward space cooperation with countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/14/c_137253901.htm

Micro satellite developed by Chinese university starts to work around Moon
Source: Xinhua | 2018-06-14 19:26:43 | Editor: ZX

BEIJING, June 14 (Xinhua) -- A micro satellite, developed by the Harbin Institute of Technology in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province and sent into an orbit around the Moon, has started to transmit data back to Earth.

Two micro satellites, Longjiang-1 and Longjiang-2, were sent into space on May 21 together with the Chang'e-4 lunar probe's relay satellite from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center.

Longjiang-2 successfully reached its destination near the Moon on May 25, and entered a lunar orbit with the perilune at 350 km and the apolune at 13,700 km. However, Longjiang-1 suffered an anomaly and failed to enter lunar orbit, according to the China National Space Administration (CNSA).

Longjiang-2, weighing 47 kg, has become the world's first lunar orbiter developed by a university.

It carries an optical camera developed by the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology of Saudi Arabia, as well as a low-frequency radio detector developed by the National Space Science Center of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

The scientific instruments on the satellite have all started to work, CNSA said.

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http://russian.news.cn/2018-06/15/c_137255529.htm

Видеозонд Саудовской Аравии, установленный на китайском микроспутнике "Лунцзян-2", сделал первые снимки Луны
Пекин, 14 июня /Синьхуа/ -- Как сообщили в Государственном управлении оборонной науки, техники и промышленности КНР и Государственном космическом управлении КНР, самостоятельно разработанный Харбинским промышленным университетом орбитальный микроспутник сверхдлинноволнового наблюдения "Лунцзян-2" в настоящий момент вышел на окололунную орбиту. Установленный на спутнике оптический видеозонд Саудовской Аравии начал работу и сделал несколько четких снимков лунной поверхности в видимом спектре. Сегодня во второй половине дня в Пекине Государственное космическое управление КНР и Научно-технический центр им. короля Абдулазиза Саудовской Аравии совместно представили 3 снимка, полученных с помощью видеозонда. -0- Фотографии Синьхуа/предоставлены Государственным управлением оборонной науки, техники и промышленности КНР  

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http://russian.news.cn/2018-06/16/c_137258887.htm

Китайский микроспутник успешно передал на Землю первые снимки Луны
2018-06-16 21:00:10丨Russian.News.Cn

Пекин, 16 июня /Синьхуа/ -- Китайский микроспутник сверхдлинноволнового наблюдения "Лунцзян-2" успешно передал на Землю первые снимки Луны. Об этом сообщили информагентству Синьхуа в Государственном управлении оборонной науки, техники и промышленности КНР и Государственном космическом управлении КНР.

Спутник "Лунцзян-2" весом 47 кг разработан Харбинским промышленным университетом. Его полезная нагрузка включает миниатюрный видеозонд Саудовской Аравии.

21 мая этого года китайский спутник-ретранслятор "Цюэцяо" /"Сорочий мост"/ с двумя микроспутниками "Лунцзян-1" и "Лунцзян-2" был запущен с космодрома Сичан в провинции Сычуань на юго-западе Китая.

Спустя 113-часовой полет "Лунцзян-2" в 22:00 часа 25 мая по пекинскому времени вышел на окололунную орбиту, параметры которой -- 13700 км апоселений, 350 км периселений. Из-за неполадок в управлении вывести на окололунную орбиту его компаньона "Лунцзян-1" не удалось.

"Лунцзян-2" стал первым в мире микроспутником, который самостоятельно вышел на окололунную орбиту и совершил полеты вокруг Луны, отметили в ведомствах.

Видеозонд Саудовской Аравии на борту микроспутника был включен 28 мая. По оценкам экспертов, снимки лунной поверхности в видимом спектре, снятые указанным аппаратом, отвечают техническим требованиям, разработанным Китаем и Саудовской Аравией.

Государственное космическое управление КНР и Научно-технический центр им. короля Абдул-Азиза Саудовской Аравии на днях в Пекине совместно представили три из вышеупомянутых снимков.

Документ о сотрудничестве между Китаем и Саудовской Аравией был заключен в марте 2017 года.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/19/c_137265536.htm

China Focus: China pioneers ceramic 3D printing in microgravity
Source: Xinhua | 2018-06-19 21:08:37 | Editor: ZX

BEIJING, June 19 (Xinhua) -- One of the first civilizations to make ceramics about 10,000 years ago, China is now developing technology to manufacture ceramics in space.

The most exciting potential use of the technology is to build bases on the Moon, Mars or other planets. Or maybe just to drink tea from a cup made of lunar dust or Martian soil.

Scientists at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) have completed the world's first ceramic manufacturing experiment under microgravity, using digital light processing technology aboard a European parabolic flight aircraft in Switzerland.

"This is a widely used 3D printing technology, but it's previously been regarded as inapplicable in a microgravity environment," said Wang Gong, director of the CAS Key Laboratory of Space Manufacturing Technology.

During the flight experiments, the scientists also tested a metal casting technique using 3D printed ceramic molds.

Both experiments are aimed at developing technologies for producing instrument components on China's future space station, or building large telescopes in space, or exploring the Moon and Mars, said Wang.

Спойлер

Lunar dust is mainly comprised of silicate particles at nanometer or sub-micrometer scale, which have a form similar to the raw materials of ceramics. The lunar soil also contains metals such as titanium, aluminum and iron, said Wang.

"We can develop the technology to manufacture ceramic molds with the lunar dust, and then cast components by using metals in the lunar soil with the ceramic molds," Wang said.

However, fine particles are difficult to control in the space manufacturing process as they float easily in a microgravity environment. Currently, filament materials are commonly used in space manufacturing experiments. But their accuracy and smoothness are not satisfactory, said Wang.

Chinese scientists developed a technology to mix the powder into a resin to form a paste, and then solidify it with digital light processing.

"Our team has spent more than two years studying how to make a paste that does not float freely in microgravity, which is the most creative and valuable part of the technology. We think the technology can be used in processing many sorts of fine particles," Wang said.

On June 12 and 13, they conducted 28 experiments under microgravity, two experiments under lunar gravity and two under Martian gravity on the European aircraft, producing ten ceramic and eight metal samples.

"We want to test whether we can make a regular object with a smooth surface with the technology, and we made ceramic cubes to see their micro-structure in different gravity conditions," said Wang.

In the metal casting experiments, they made samples including a screw and a small wrench.

"The samples are of good quality, which shows the technology can be applied in different gravity conditions, and verifies the feasibility of the technology," Wang said.

The technology could be used for in-situ, fast production of semiconductors, bio-scaffolds, optical parts and micro-electromechanical systems for space exploration, as well as in-situ utilization of lunar resources, and might have far-reaching impacts on space manufacturing.

The trial instruments require human operation. "Our long-term goal is to develop intelligent machines that can work on the Moon or Mars. But those machines will be more complicated," Wang said.

"Elon Musk and SpaceX are developing technologies to take people to other planets, and we are developing technologies to help them survive," Wang added.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/27/c_137283970.htm

China launches new-tech experiment twin satellites
Source: Xinhua | 2018-06-27 13:24:11 | Editor: Liangyu

XICHANG, June 27 (Xinhua) -- China successfully launched new-tech experiment twin satellites on the Long March-2C rocket from southwest China's Xichang Satellite Launch Center Wednesday morning.

The twin satellites were launched at 11:30 a.m., and entered their intended orbit.

The twin-satellites missions are to link the inter-satellite network and conduct new technology tests on satellites earth-observation.

It was the 278th mission of the Long March rocket series.

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Синьхуа
http://russian.news.cn/2018-06/27/c_137284027.htm

Китай запустил два спутника для тестирования новых технологий
2018-06-27 13:40:11丨Russian.News.Cn

Сичан, 27 июня /Синьхуа/ -- Китай вывел в среду на орбиту два спутника для тестирования новых технологий. Запуск ракеты-носителя "Чанчжэн-2С" с космическими аппаратами на борту состоялся в 11:30 по пекинскому времени с космодрома Сичан в юго-западной провинции Сычуань.

По сообщению, запущенные два спутника предназначены для тестирования технологий нового типа по формированию сети межспутниковой связи и наблюдению поверхности Земли.

Данная миссия - 278-й по счету запуск ракеты-носителя серии "Чанчжэн" /Великий поход/. -0-

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Beidou Navigation Satellite system enters new, critical stage of production

CGTN

Опубликовано: 1 июл. 2018 г.

China's Beidou Navigation Satellite System is entering a critical stage. A CGTN reporter visited a testing facility, where many young researchers are working to build the world's third global navigation satellite system.

(2:08 )

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/02/c_137295940.htm

China to develop new series of carrier rockets: expert
BEIJING, July 2 (Xinhua) -- China aims to develop a new series of small, medium, large and heavy-lift Long March carrier rockets by 2030 to meet the demands of its space operations, according to an expert.
The capacity of Chinese rockets would reach 140 tonnes for low-Earth orbit, 44 tonnes for Earth-Mars transfer orbit, 50 tonnes for Earth-Moon transfer orbit and 66 tonnes for geosynchronous transfer orbit in 2030, said Long Lehao, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a chief designer at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, when delivering a speech in Tsinghua University.
One of the new generation rockets would be the heavy-lift Long March-9. The rocket would have a core stage with a diameter of 10 meters, and four boosters with a diameter up to 5 meters.
The takeoff weight of the 93-meter-high Long March-9 would exceed 4,000 tonnes, and its takeoff thrust would be close to 6,000 tonnes. The rocket would be able to carry a payload of 140 tonnes into low-Earth orbit, Long said.
The Long March-9 would have two variants: one with two boosters and the other one with no booster.
Some breakthroughs had been achieved on the technologies of the Long March-9.
It could be used in manned lunar landings, deep space exploration and constructing a space-based solar power plant, Long said.
China is also developing reusable space rocket, the Long March-8, which is expected to make its maiden flight around 2021. It will have two stages and two boosters. The first stage and boosters are expected to be retrieved through vertical landing, said Long.
A variant, the Long March-8A will be equipped with two larger boosters and an upper stage.
China has developed more than 10 types of carrier rockets, sending more than 400 spacecrafts into space, including more than 60 commercial satellite launches for over 20 countries. The success rate and the orbit injection accuracy are among the world's highest.

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Caleb Henry‏ @CHenry_SN 7 мин. назад

China Great Wall planning massive 8,000 kilogram DFH-5 satellite platform. Launching end of the year on the concomitantly sized Long March 5 rocket.
#APSAT2018

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http://tass.ru/kosmos/5341225

СМИ: Китай создает новые типы ракет-носителей "Чанчжэн"

Космос | 2 июля, 17:33 UTC+3

ПЕКИН, 2 июля. /ТАСС/. К 2030 году Китай разработает новую серию малых, средних, тяжелых и сверхтяжелых ракет-носителей "Чанчжэн" ("Великий поход" ) для удовлетворения потребностей китайской космической программы. Об этом сообщило информационное агентство "Синьхуа".

По словам Лун Лэхао, академика Инженерной академии Китая и главного инженера Исследовательского института технологии ракетостроения КНР, грузоподъемность китайских ракет в 2030 году составит 140 т для околоземной орбиты, 44 т для доставки на Марс, 50 т для доставки на Луну и 66 т для доставки груза на геосинхронную орбиту. Одно из поколений ракет будет представлять собой тяжелую ракету-носитель "Чанчжэн-9" ("Великий поход-9" ) "пакетного типа" - помимо центрального корпуса диаметром 10 м, она будет иметь четыре боковых ускорителя диаметрами по 5 м. "Великий поход-9" сможет поднять на околоземную орбиту 140 т полезного груза, отметил Лун.

Данная ракета может использоваться в пилотируемых полетах к Луне, исследованиях глубокого космоса и при строительстве космической солнечной электростанции, сказал Лун.

Китай также разрабатывает многоразовую космическую ракету "Чанчжэн-8" ("Великий поход-8" ), которая, как ожидается, совершит свой первый полет в 2021 году. Она будет состоять из двух ступеней и двух ускорителей. Первая ступень и ускорители будут возвращены на Землю с помощью технологии вертикальной посадки, сообщил ученый. Модификация "Великий поход-8А" будет состоять из двух больших ускорителей с разгонным блоком. Возможность обеспечивать возврат ступени и ускорителей позволила значительно снизить стоимость ее пусков.

Китай уже разработал более 10 типов ракет-носителей, отправив в космос более 400 космических аппаратов, в том числе осуществив свыше 60 коммерческих запусков спутников для более чем 20 стран. Показатель успеха и точность выхода на орбиту китайских космических аппаратов являются одними из самых высоких в мире.

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/04/c_137301499.htm

China launches new space science program
Source: Xinhua | 2018-07-04 20:26:12 | Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, July 4 (Xinhua) -- China Wednesday launched a new space science program focusing on the origin and evolution of the universe, black holes, gravitational waves and relationship between the solar system and human.

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) announced to develop a group of four satellites in the program.

The program includes a satellite named "Einstein-Probe (EP)", which is tasked with discovering celestial bodies that emit X-rays during fierce changes as well as quiescent black holes with transient high-energy radiation.

The Advanced Space-borne Solar Observatory (ASO-S) will help scientists understand the causality among solar magnetic fields, flares and coronal mass ejections.

The Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, or SMILE, which is a Sino-European joint mission, will focus on the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth magnetosphere.

The program also includes the Gravitational Wave Electromagnetic Counterpart All-sky Monitor (GECAM), which is aimed at searching for electromagnetic signals associated with gravitational waves.

The program is expected to attract the outstanding scientists and engineers in China to achieve scientific breakthroughs and technological innovation, said Wang Chi, director of the National Space Science Center under CAS.

Over the past few years, China has launched a series of space science satellites, including the Dark Matter Particle Explorer (DAMPE),the Quantum Experiments at Space Scale (QUESS) and the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT).

[tnt22]

Для справки:

NextLaunch‏ @Nextlaunch 2 ч. назад

Where things get dropped. Drop zone areas from almost 100 chinese launch notams from 2010 to present that I could find. (likely few mistakes included due to sources of data & it being a test)

[tnt22]

http://spacenews.com/china-reveals-details-for-super-heavy-lift-long-march-9-and-reusable-long-march-8-rockets/

China reveals details for super-heavy-lift Long March 9 and reusable Long March 8 rockets
by Andrew Jones — July 5, 2018


Long Lehao of CALT delivers a lecture at Tsinghua University, Beijing, on May 31, 2018. Pictured is the Long March 9. Credit: Framegrab/CCTV webcast

HELSINKI, Finland — A senior designer with the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology has presented updated details for an upcoming series of new rockets to expand China's launch capabilities, including super-heavy-lift and reusable rockets.

Long Lehao, a chief designer with CALT, a major launch vehicle institute under the main contractor for China's space activities, revealed the details in a lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing on May 31.

Long gave an overview of the history and progress of Chinese launch vehicles before providing updates on new projects under development, notably the Long March 9.

The Long March 9 will be a Saturn 5-class super-heavy-lift rocket comparable in capacity to the Space Launch System currently being developed under NASA.

According to Long, the Long March 9 will be capable of lifting 140 metric tons to low Earth orbit, 50 tons to Earth-Moon transfer orbit, and 44 tons to Earth-Mars transfer orbit.

The 93-meter-high Long March 9 is expected to have a launch mass of over 4,000 metric tons, producing close to 6,000 tons of thrust.

The core stage will have a diameter of 10 meters while four boosters will each have a diameter of up to 5 meters. This would make the boosters comparable to the Long March 5, China's largest rocket so far, which debuted in 2016 and last July suffered a first stage engine issue that prompted a redesign. A third flight of the rocket is expected around November.

The Long March 9 is slated to be ready for a test flight around 2030, with Long adding that progress on the project includes successful forging of 10-meter-diameter alloy rings and breakthroughs related to 500-ton-thrust kerosene-liquid oxygen and 220-ton-thrust hydrolox engines.

Crewed lunar landings, Mars sample return

Спойлер

The first major mission of the Long March 9 is expected to be a single-launch Mars sample return mission, while the rocket is also being designed to facilitate lunar missions, including crewed landings.

CALT has previously said that it is studying a mission profile which would see the Long March 5B—a variant of the Long March 5 to be used for low-Earth orbit launches, including lofting modules for the country's space station—be used to launch the crewed spacecraft which would then rendezvous in LEO with the lunar spacecraft stack launched by the Long March 9 ahead of trans-lunar injection.

Toward this goal, two versions of a new generation crewed spacecraft are being developed, with a scale return-capsule test having been carried out in 2016. The debut of the Long March 5B, expected to follow a successful return-to-flight of the Long March 5, will include a new test related to the spacecraft in summer 2019.

Long also stated that the Long March 9 would be able to launch components for a space-based solar power system, a project which has been previously stated by senior Chinese aerospace and military figures to be under consideration.

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Move to reusability

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Long explained in the lecture that the Long March 8 would be CALT's first rocket to attempt first stage reusability, which will launch for the first time in 2021.

As previously reported, the Long March 8 is based on the existing Long March rockets, using a core very similar to that of the 3.35-meter-diameter Long March 7, a new-generation medium-lift rocket that had its maiden flight in 2016, with the second stage to be based on the 3-meter-diameter liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen second stage of the older Long March 3A. The rocket will also use two solid propellant boosters, likely based on the Long March 11.

Long stated that both the first stage and boosters will attempt vertical landing.

The Long March 8 was originally intended to be an expendable rocket to increase China's lift capacity for launches to sun-synchronous orbits, but the plans have changed to allow China to experiment with vertical landing and reusability.

China launched its first satellite into space in 1970, with a Long March 1 putting the Dongfanghong-1 satellite into orbit. The country has since developed a series of Long March rockets, which take their name from a mythologized retreat by the Red Army of the Communist Party of China in the 1930s.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), which owns CALT, released a long-term space transportation roadmap in fall 2017 which stated 2035 as the target for achieving full reusability for its launch vehicles. Long did not, however, appear to comment on the possible reusability of the Long March 9.

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[tnt22]

CFOSAT version anglaise

CNES

Опубликовано: 4 июл. 2018 г.

CFOSAT, China France Oceanography SATellite est une mission d'océanographie spatiale menée conjointement par les agences spatiales françaises et chinoises, elle est dédiée à l'étude du vent et des vagues, à la surface des océans. Le satellite CFOSAT embarque des instruments français et chinois, comme les radars SCAT et SWIM.

(3:46)

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http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-07/07/c_137308839.htm

China test-fires new solid booster for next generation rocket
Source: Xinhua | 2018-07-07 21:53:55 | Editor: Liangyu

BEIJING, July 7 (Xinhua) -- China had successfully finished the first joint hot-fire test of a new solid-fuel booster engine and its servomechanism system, the manufacture said Saturday.

With a diameter of two meters, the booster engine is expected to be used on China's next generation medium-sized carrier rocket, according to a China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation statement.

The segmented design was used in the engine, making it the most powerful solid-fuel engine at present, the statement said.