China's Shenlong spacecraft flew successfully

To those who say that the Chinese Space Shuttle looks a lot like the US Space Shuttle, here are a few links pertaining to the father of China's Space Program: , and

If you can't be bothered checking those links out, basically, the father of the Chinese Space Program was also one of the founders of the US's own Space Program. He did early designs that was the precursor to the US Space Shuttle, but sometime in the 1950's he was unfairly accused of being a Communist sympathizer and was stripped of his position and security clearance in the US Space Program. As a result he eventually ended up in China and became the father of the Chinese Space Program.

Hmm I'm curious about the Shenlong space plane, I'm considering that it may have actually had a first flight recently:


and

Russians and China said to be working on their own X37 type craft.
30 January 2011
By gary


A report published by China Aviation Journal, China has successfully launched its own space plane prototype, the news came out shortly after the US Air Force announced the successful test of their advanced X37B space plane, which is widely regarded as a next-generation super weapon that is even more dangerous than atomic bomb. This story has now been deleted.

The Ming Pao and the Zhongguo Pinglun (China Review), a news website in Hong Kong, posted an article headlined “China succeeds in spacecraft test flight in tandem with U.S. X-37B” until early Tuesday, but no mainland Chinese media websites mentioned anything about it.

China’s “Hermes” Space Plane: A December 16 photo shows a model of the Shenlong and a new model of the Chinese “Hermes” space plane. China has made significant progress toward the development of an unmanned trans-atmospheric vehicle and a Space Plane. Beijing’s technological advancement has obvious commercial and scientific uses, however the military significance of the plane cannot be denied.

Hong Kong’s Ming Pao daily on Tuesday said Shaanxi TV last Saturday quoted acting provincial governor Zhao Zhengyong as saying China has “succeeded in the test flight of a prototype aircraft that can fly through the atmospheric layer.” Zhao was visiting a state-run aircraft corporation at Xi’an high-tech industrial development zone.

Chinese officials say that their rocket powered space plane program may be a reaction to U.S. ambitions to dominate space and develop space planes, hypersonic transports and bombers.

The involvement of fighter aircraft design institutes, plus previous statements of Chinese spacecraft design officials and related military-engineering literature, suggest that China wants its space planes to perform military, even attack, missions. The Chinese Daily said Beijing’s development of the aircraft was leaked to the press like recent stories about its new stealth fighter dubbed the J-20, but authorities were “deleting all Internet posts about the space fighter.”

The Chinese channel showed images of a prototype space fighter being assembled whose outward appearance was almost identical to a U.S. pilotless upper-atmosphere military spaceship, the X-37B, the daily said. The U.S.’ pilotless upper-atmosphere military spaceship, the X-37B /Courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.

Chinese military analysts clarify that a Space plane will definitely form the basis for a space combat platform. This space combat platform will be intended to attack targets on Earth or it could carry out counter-space combat missions. China is aggressively pursuing air-breathing hypersonic propulsion technologies, which will provide additional avenues to develop very rapid long-range “deep strike” weapons.

There are news stories about “People’s Liberation Army Air craft carrier space program in 2000″ which claim that China is also building a Spacecraft Carrier.

Russian researchers seem to be playing catch up, they are developing an unmanned spaceflight vehicle, something similar to the Boeing X-37 Orbital Test Vehicle, but its final use remains still unknown.

Oleg Ostapenko, Space Troops chief , revealed it also declaring that: “Something has been done along these lines, but as to whether we will use it, only time will tell”.

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Now I know it hasn't been reported en masse by media yet, and the two links are rather crappy, but the idea that the J-20 flight was a cover for a potential Shenlong flight kind of makes sense...
And the fact that some chinese news posts were supposedly removed by authorities gives credence to the possibility of a flight...

And the photo mao posted in post #9 makes me suspicious as well -- it really does resemble an X-37 analogue, though with a verticle tail instead of V tails.
There was a picture of the shenlong hanging in 2007 under an H-6, and since then it could easily have gone through a drop test, and then scaled up to a full X-37 sized craft, like how the X-37 was upsized from the X-40A test platform.
I think China has the technology for such a craft, with satellite control and re entry etc, and have been ploughing ahead in space technology for the past decade, while also seeming to have the intention to compete in space.
I'm not sure if they have the rocket tech to send an X-37 weight into LEO though, I'm not very familiar with the CZ launchers.

I'm also curious if any other countries like the US could have tracked such an object if it was a LEO flight, even if it was briefer than the X-37's ~270 days or such. And if they did track it, why not tell the world?

What do you guys think?

Bltizo said:

Hmm I'm curious about the Shenlong space plane, I'm considering that it may have actually had a first flight recently:

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and

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Now I know it hasn't been reported en masse by media yet, and the two links are rather crappy, but the idea that the J-20 flight was a cover for a potential Shenlong flight kind of makes sense...
And the fact that some chinese news posts were supposedly removed by authorities gives credence to the possibility of a flight...

And the photo mao posted in post #9 makes me suspicious as well -- it really does resemble an X-37 analogue, though with a verticle tail instead of V tails.
There was a picture of the shenlong hanging in 2007 under an H-6, and since then it could easily have gone through a drop test, and then scaled up to a full X-37 sized craft, like how the X-37 was upsized from the X-40A test platform.
I think China has the technology for such a craft, with satellite control and re entry etc, and have been ploughing ahead in space technology for the past decade, while also seeming to have the intention to compete in space.
I'm not sure if they have the rocket tech to send an X-37 weight into LEO though, I'm not very familiar with the CZ launchers.

I'm also curious if any other countries like the US could have tracked such an object if it was a LEO flight, even if it was briefer than the X-37's ~270 days or such. And if they did track it, why not tell the world?

What do you guys think?

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The Shenlong is obviously smaller than the X-37 and if it were, as a matter of fact, an unmanned shuttle Chinese rockets should have no problem launching it into orbit. However I think it is still a bit to early to conclude that the thing is an orbital space plane. What if it is a suborbital spaceplane or an atmosphere skipping ramjet?

siegecrossbow said:

The Shenlong is obviously smaller than the X-37 and if it were, as a matter of fact, an unmanned shuttle Chinese rockets should have no problem launching it into orbit. However I think it is still a bit to early to conclude that the thing is an orbital space plane. What if it is a suborbital spaceplane or an atmosphere skipping ramjet?

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Well I believe the pictures of the Shenlong under the H-6 is a scaled testbed, like how the X-40A was a testbed for what we know as the X-37 today so I don't think the real Shenlong would be significantly smaller than the X-37.

I mean if the shenlong was actually the size of the one we saw beneath the H-6 it won't have a lot of... capability, to put it in layman terms.

Which brings me back to the question if China has any rockets capable of throwing X-37 weight to LEO, in one of the more remote launch facilities without other countries catching on/or at least the majority of the public.

If it was a ramjet wouldn't it need to havea fairly obvious intake?
I may be getting a bit ahead of myself, but if we look at china's aerospace defence needs, what requirements would a suborbital spaceplane or atmosphere skipper fill?

I wrote a quick article about the growing rivalry between the great powers in space. I think that it is likely that China recently tested the craft, but that doesn't mean it was a orbital test.

Bltizo said:

I'm not sure if they have the rocket tech to send an X-37 weight into LEO though, I'm not very familiar with the CZ launchers.

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X-37b weights 5400 kg. china´s most powerful booster (long march 3b) has 12000 kg LEO capability, more than enough to launch something in that weight range. Even taking into consideration that china´s material tech is not as advanced as nasa´s tech (and therefore heavier), shenlong certainly couldnt have more than twice x-37b´s weight.

Via Cirr. China end testing of near space UAV with great result
In 2018, Cheng Fei's wave body UAV can have a bright future! Amongst China's most significant military achievement in 2017

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World-Back to Hovercraft, China X-51 AVIAS revealed a model of the Chengdu-based Unmanned near space UAV at the end of 2017.
According to the January 9 Aeronautical News, the year 2017 set the target must be finalized, the final shape goal is completed. China X-51 By the end of 2017, a certain type of model review passed smoothly.

天地往返高超音速飞行器，中国X－51

中航透露成都所天地往返高超音速无人飞行器某型号于2017年底定型，4次试飞，外界推测应该是中国版X－51。美军X－51试飞四次以上均未能实现以6倍音速飞行300秒的初始计划而前途难料，没想到中国只试飞4次即定型，这标志着中国一超级平台超越美国进入实战部署，具有划时代的意义。。



中国X－51

根据中国航空报的新闻报道说，这架飞行器2015年已经交付试飞中心，在2017年底已经在部队批量装备并组织定型，文章还透露了50天里才组织了4次试飞，这肯定不是普通有歼20之类四代机，绝对是天地往返的亚轨道飞行器。因为战斗机要进行上千次的测试，只有亚轨道飞行器才可能试验次数这么少。

根据1月9日航空报消息，2017年年初就定下的年内必须定型的目标，最终定型目标完成。



中国X－51

2017年年底，某型号定型审查顺利通过。官文说，项目历经数年，经此一役，总算尘埃落定。

领军人物来自成都飞机设计研究所，根据航空报的人物简历，总负责人现为空天技术与无人机设计研究部临近空间飞行器总体研究室主任，高级工程师。

官方称，成都所在“十一五”全面承担了某试验样机的总体设计工作，在短短4年内完成了总体设计、总体装配，并进行了样机外场飞行试验。



外界猜测效果图

成都所设计的亚轨道无人飞机，具有概念新、布局新和空天结合的特点，突破了总体、结构、环控防热一体化设计技术，急剧变化的重心与大范围变化的焦点匹配设计技术，严酷热环境下的全机多波段保形天线综合设计技术，全机有效载荷综合设计技术，填补了国内空白。这也说明中国紧随美国X－51的研究步伐。

成都所除了在歼20研制上大放异彩外，近年在空天技术特别是临近空间领域的创新开拓作出了突出贡献。

根据相关资料，成都所这种飞行器是一种临近空间高速巡航飞行器，可重复使用的复合结构。

首飞2015年09月18日，当时航空报称试飞中心某型机首次试飞圆满成功，就是指的这架亚轨道飞行器。



X－51

X-51A高超音速无人飞行器是美国空军研制的超燃冲压发动机验证机--乘波者。它由波音公司与普惠公司共同开发，由一台JP-7碳氢燃料超燃冲压发动机推动，设计飞行马赫数在6~6.5之间。

X-51的第一次试飞是在2010年5月，成功飞行了200秒;而之后在2011年6月进行的第二次试飞则以失败告终。2013年5月1日，第4次试飞成功，以5.1倍音速飞行了约3分半钟。

X－51计划的终极目标就是要发展一种比美国原武器库中任何一种导弹的速度都要快5倍以上，可以在1小时内攻击地球任意位置目标的新武器。

早就相传成飞在搞空天项目，没想到2018年初航空报就侧面证实了，而且已经初步定型。

这种高超音速飞行器反应速度快，只需要10几分钟就可飞临一千公里外的目标，突防能力相当强，再加上亚轨道飞行，超过现有防空武器射高，现有的防空武器对它基本无计可施。

21世纪是乘波体与战略核潜艇的天下，其他都是次要的。人类的未来最厉害的攻击性武器就是它，乘波体可以飞行于大气边缘。2018年，成飞的乘波体已经可以亮剑了！

Amongst China's most significant military achievement in 2017 artay:



Last edited: Today at 9:30 AM
Google translation readable
World-Back to Hovercraft, China X-51 AVIAS revealed that a model of the Chengdu-based Unmannedrcraft UAV at the end of 2017.
It has been type-tested and has four test flights. Its speculation is that the Chinese version of the X-51 is supposed to be. The unexpected test of the U.S. military's X-51 test flight for more than four times failed to achieve an initial plan of flying 300-second sound at six times the speed of sound.

I did not expect China to test only four flights, which indicates that a super-platform in China surpassed the United States and entered a real deployment. With epoch-making significance. . China X-51 According to the news report of China Airlines, this aircraft has been delivered to the test center in 2015 and has been batch-equipped and organized by the end of 2017.

The article also revealed that only four flight tests were organized in 50 days Definitely not the common F-20 and other four generations of machines, is absolutely heaven and earth sub-orbital aircraft. Because fighters have to do thousands of tests, only sub-orbiter tests are so rare.

According to the January 9 Aeronautical News, the year 2017 set the target must be finalized, the final shape goal is completed. China X-51 By the end of 2017, a certain type of model review passed smoothly.
Official article said that after years of project, after this battle, finally settled. The leader is from Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute. According to the profiles of Air China, the chief person in charge is the director and senior engineer of the near space vehicle general research department of Space-Flight Technology and UAV Design and Research Department

According to the official, Chengdu's "Eleventh Five-year Plan" fully assumed the overall design work of a test prototype, completed the overall design and overall assembly in just 4 years, and conducted a prototype flight test on the outfield.
Outside speculation renderings Chengdu designed sub-orbital UAV, with the concept of new, new layout and the combination of space-day features, breaking the overall, structural, environmental control integrated thermal design technology, dramatic changes in the center of gravity and a wide range of changes.
Focus matching design technology, the whole machine multi-band conformal antenna integrated design technology in harsh thermal environment, the whole machine payload integrated design technology, to fill the gaps in the country.

This also shows that China is following the pace of the U.S. X-51 research. Chengdu in addition to the splendid research in the J-20, in recent years, space-day technology, especially in the field of space exploration and innovation has made outstanding contributions. According to relevant information, Chengdu, this aircraft is a near-space high-speed cruising aircraft, reusable composite structure.
First flight September 18, 2015, when aviation reported that the first test flight of a type of test center was successful, it refers to the sub-orbital vehicle. X-51 X-51A Hypersonic UAV is the United States Air Force developed scramjet engine validator - by wavers. Developed by Boeing and Pratt & Whitney, it is powered by a JP-7 hydrocarbon scramjet designed to fly between Mach 6 and 6.5. The first flight of the X-51 was a successful flight of 200 seconds in May 2010, followed by a failed second flight in June 2011. On May 1, 2013, the 4th flight test was successful, flying at 5.1 times the sonic speed for about 3 and a half minutes.

The ultimate goal of the X-51 program is to develop a new weapon capable of attacking any target anywhere on Earth more than five times faster than any missile in the original U.S. arsenal. It has long been said that in the space-day project to fly, did not expect the early in 2018 Air confirmed on the side, and has been initial shape.

This hypersonic vehicle responds fast and takes only 10 minutes to reach a target of 1,000 kilometers. The penetration capability is quite strong. Coupled with the orbital flight, it surpasses the existing air defense weapon's altitude and the existing air defense Weapons basically it can do nothing. The 21st century is a world dominated by wave bodies and strategic nuclear submarines, others are all secondary. It is the most powerful offensive weapon of the future of mankind, which can fly in the atmosphere by the wave body.
In 2018, Cheng Fei's wave body can have a bright future! Amongst China's most significant military achievement in 2017

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A quick Google search, I found this. Is it what you guys are talking about. By the way, I can't see videos and photos uploaded in all previous posts.

SteelBird said:

A quick Google search, I found this. Is it what you guys are talking about. By the way, I can't see videos and photos uploaded in all previous posts.

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What you posted is the Shenlong. However, Hendrik's post is about something else and is in the wrong thread (and is not from the provided link).

Klon said:

What you posted is the Shenlong. However, Hendrik's post is about something else and is in the wrong thread (and is not from the provided link).

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It is not the wrong thread Shenlong is just technical demonstrator a forerunner for the real thing So you can say what they test is further refinement of Shenlong