China's Space Program News Thread

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Researchers at Radboud University, ASTRON and the Delft company Innovative Solutions in Space (ISIS) are to develop a new instrument that will be onboard the Chinese Chang’e4 satellite that will be placed in an orbit behind the moon in 2018. With the instrument, astronomers want to measure radio waves from the stars and galaxies that were formed directly after the Big Bang.

The Netherlands Space Office (NSO) and the Chinese national space agency CNSA signed a partnership agreement on a mission to the moon, made possible by the organisations’ Memorandum of Understanding in 2015.

The radio antenna is the first Dutch-made scientific instrument to be sent on a Chinese space mission, and it will open up a new chapter in radio astronomy. “This instrument will help us find answers to vital questions concerning the origin of the universe,” said Gert Kruithof from ASTRON, “and this project will represent a new milestone in astronomy.”
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China will put 14 more meteorological satellites into orbit over the next decade, according to a conference on Monday. By 2025, China plans to launch one Fengyun-II satellite, four Fengyun-IIIs, three Fengyun-IVs and another 6 for multiple meteorological purposes, Wu Yanhua, deputy head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, said at a seminar on Fengyun satellite development.

Since 1988, China has launched 14 satellites in its Fengyun series for meteorological observation and related services. Of those, only seven are still in operation, Zheng Guoguang, head of the China Meteorological Administration, said.

The seven operational weather satellites are able to scan the world every 25 minutes - and certain regions every six minutes, the national meteorological authority said. Currently, more than 2,500 domestic users, including companies and institutes, have received data from the satellites, Zheng said.

"The satellites have played an increasingly important role for the country to combat disasters and climate change, and to play a role in environmental protection," Zheng said.They were especially effective in monitoring meteorological disasters like typhoons and torrential rains, he said.

For example, casualties caused by typhoons fell dramatically to 21 last year thanks to advanced monitoring. Casualties in the last century were as severe as 3,500 a year. Zheng added that the satellites have observed all 415 typhoons that have formed in the western Pacific from 1998 to 2015, with timely monitoring and better accuracy in forecasting their movements

 

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Space exploration technologies used on China's Long March-7 carrier rocket are being used to benefit civilians through their application in other industries and processes, such as reducing the emissions of air pollutants.

One use for the rocket engine technology is in flue-gas desulfurization (FGD) facilities developed by the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC). This innovation can help reduce pollutants such as sulfur dioxide produced by industrial processes.

"The spraying and mixing technologies for liquid oxygen/kerosene engines can transfer more than 99 percent of the thermal energy produced by the engine. We've applied this technology to environmental protection and it works well in desulfurization," said Yan Fuhang, deputy director of 11th department of the CASTC.

The CASTC has obtained more than 100 patents in recent years by combining their top technologies with market demand. The research institute produced 10 billion yuan worth of civilian commodities in 2015 alone.

"I think we can achieve a lot during our reform and restructuring. I hope by the end of the 13th five-year plan (2020), we can generate a total value of 26 billion yuan," said Sun Yudong, director of General Affairs Office of Sales Department of CASTC.

 

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China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2, which may enable two astronauts to live in space for up to 30 days, has been delivered to Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. The lab was sent from Beijing Thursday by railway and reached the launch center Saturday, marking the start of the Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft missions, said a statement issued by China's manned space engineering office.

Assembly and tests will begin at the center ahead of the lab's launch scheduled for mid-September, the statement said. According to the statement, Tiangong-2 will be capable of receiving manned and cargo spaceships, and will be a testing place for systems and processes for mid-term space stays and refueling in space.

It will also be involved in experiments on aerospace medicine, space sciences, on-orbit maintenance and space station technologies.With two capsules for conducting experiments and holding resources, Tiangong-2 features major improvements from its predecessor, including an improved propel sub-system.

The new space lab will also carry three experiments designed by the winners of a Hong Kong middle school design contest, the statement said. Carrier rockets to launch Tiangong-2 and Shenzhou-11 will be transferred to Jiuquan next month. Shenzhou-11, which will carry two astronauts to dock with Tiangong-2 in space, has passed initial tests, and its crew members are undergoing intensive training, the statement said.

 

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Sincerely hope they are "ready".

 

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Sincerely hope they are "ready".

 

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The general assembly of China's Shenzhou-11 spacecraft has finished, said a person in charge of certain work of the project from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on Saturday.

Zheng Wei, assistant chief designer of spacecraft system with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said all the tests of Shenzhou-11 including orbital capsule, re-entry capsule, and propelling capsule have been completed.

After finishing the final assembly of Shenzhou-11, it will be sent to Jiuquan launching center soon. Zheng said that to better serve the missions, Shenzhou-11 boasts better reliability, larger space and has properly inherited the techniques of its predecessors Shenzhou-8, Shenzhou-9 and Shenzhou-10.

China plans to launch its second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 in the third quarter of this year, according to the space authority. The space lab has recently been delivered to the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China's Gobi Desert where final preparations and testing work are taking place ahead of its upcoming launch.

After the space lab is sent into the orbit, it will dock with the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft and enable two astronauts in space to carry out space experiments for as long as 30 days, which is a seldom seen action in the international space sector.

Although it is a huge challenge for both scientists and astronauts, Zhu Zongpeng, chief engineer of the Tiangong-2, said they are well prepared. Despite a similar appearance to its predecessor, China's Tiangong-2 orbiting space lab has undergone significant design upgrades for its upcoming missions, especially boasting new apparatus for the space station technologies, according to Zhu.

"One of the upgrades is mainly for the technical verification for the space station. At the same time, mechanical arms will automatically do the on-orbit maintenance job, which will allow some maintenance job to be done outside the cabin. As is known to all, it is both at high costs and difficult, as well as unsafe for astronauts to go outside in space. So it is better to let robots do these," said Zhu.

 

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Chinese engineers have been busy running general assembly tests on two Long March-2 F carrier rockets which will serve to launch the Tiangong-2 orbiting space lab in the near future.

Liu Feng, deputy chief designer of Long March-2 F carrier rocket with the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said engineers have to run thorough tests on the two rockets before they leave for the launching site in the beginning of August.

"Every part has to run final assembly test including docking of engine, channel and boxes. We run the tests on the ground in advance to ensure there wouldn't be any problems at the launching site," said Liu.

Although Long March-2 F carrier rocket is a veteran which has completed 11 launching missions, engineers upgraded some systems and components to better serve this upcoming mission."We made lots of improvements in detail. We upgraded about 80 items of the two rockets to further improve their reliability," said Liu.

 

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As China's second orbiting space lab Tiangong-2 is scheduled to launch in mid-September, two astronauts will be able to live in space and carry out experiments for as long as 30 days. Tiangong-2, which is scheduled to launch in mid-September, will be capable of receiving manned and cargo spaceships, and will act as a testing area for mid-length stays and refueling in space.

China's first space lab Tiangong-1, was launched in September 2011 and was designed with a life-span of two years. Tiangong-1 ended its service this March. With two capsules used for conducting experiments and holding resources, Tiangong-2 features many vast improvements from its predecessor, including an improved propeller system.

"Thirty-days is an internationally-acknowledged basic threshold for the length of a mid-term stay. It will carry necessities for the astronauts, so the loading capacity will increase greatly," said Zhu Congpeng, general designer of theTiangong-2 Space station, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

China's manned space program consists of three stages. First stage will see the launch of the manned spacecraft, the second stage, the space station will be launched into space and the third stage will be the construction of the space station.

"Tiangong-2 is the link between the first stage and the third stage. It's laboratory in space to some degree," Liao Jianlin, deputy general designer of the space station system, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

China hopes that future space stations will be able to hold astronauts for a longer duration. Another key component is to develop the refilling propellant. It is expected that in the first half of 2017, China's first stage cargo ship will help refill the propellant for the Tiangong-2, space station, said the scientist.

"The space station will remain in space for a long time. Its propellant will be in use constantly and must be refilled prior to this. We are hoping the Tiangong-2 will have no problems with this" said Zhu.