China's Space Program Thread II

[oseaidjubzac]

At 4:40 a.m. on May 29, 2025, Space Epoch successfully conducted the maiden flight and recovery test of its prototype rocket, Yuanxingzhe-1, at the Eastern Spaceport. The test was a complete success.


The Yuanxingzhe-1 prototype is a full-scale, thin-walled stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.2 meters, a total height of approximately 26.8 meters, and a liftoff mass of about 57 tons. The test flight lasted 125 seconds and reached an altitude of approximately 2.5 kilometers.


The flight test successfully completed all eight planned phases: ignition and liftoff, full-thrust ascent, variable-thrust adjustment, first engine shutdown, coasting descent, second engine ignition, deceleration to hover above the sea, and soft landing on the sea surface. According to post-flight data and assessments based on the Test Outline, the rocket performed nominally, splashdown and recovery were successful, and the test achieved all intended objectives.

 

[by78]

Arrowhead/Space Epoch has declared on its Weixin account that the VTVL vehicle is ready for flight in March. The VTVL test will see the vehicle carry out a high-altitude engine shutdown and restart, as well as a hovering test over the ocean surface before performing a soft splashdown landing.

ArrowHead/Space Epoch has successfully conducted its first VTVL test. The VTVL test vehicle is a stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.2m, a length of 26.8m, and a take-off mass of 57 tons. The test lasted 125 seconds, during which the vehicle reached an altitude of 2.5km before performing a soft splashdown landing in the water. The vehicle successively performed eight tasks: ignition and takeoff, full thrust climb, variable thrust adjustments, engine shutdown, free descent glide, engine restart, deceleration to hover on sea surface, and finally soft landing on the sea surface.

 

[by78]

High-resolution images from the launch of Tianwen-2 astroid sample return mission.

 

[by78]

The Tianwen-2 spacecraft is powered by LIPS-300S ion thrusters developed 510th Institute. It has a max output of 3kW and max thrust of 116mN. This is the first time China has used ion thrusters on deep space spacecraft/probes.

 

[by78]

Some images from the launch of Shijian-26 optical remote sensing satellite, which was carried out by a Long March 4B rocket. This was the 579th flight of the Long March series.

 

[AndrewJ]

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China’s spacecraft may try doing both. “Tianwen-2 will use two methods to collect samples from Kamoʻoalewa,” Dr. Qian said.
The first is “Touch and Go,” a method employed by the U.S. and Japanese asteroid missions: The spacecraft briefly makes contact with the object, kicks up the surface (using compressed gas, or a fired projectile) and captures jettisoned rocks before the spacecraft flees the scene.
The second method, “Anchor and Attach,” has never been tested. Using a series of drills, Tianwen-2 will try to adhere to the asteroid before retrieving both shallow and deeper samples.

Some sugguest it's actually testing part of the planetary defense program.

Steps of defending Earth from being hit by an incoming asteriod:
1) Launch a spacecraft to the asteroid;
2) Anchor & Attach the spacecraft to the asteroid;
3) Use spacecraft's propulsion, deviating the asteroid from its original motion direction to Earth.

Apparently, China is going to test Step 1) & 2) in this Tianwen-2 mission. Step 2) has never been tested by anyone, including US & Japan, so this will be a China's First.

Which suits the planetary defense mission China proposed sometime ago. Though I'm not sure whether Step 3) will be conducted/tested in this mission.

 

[by78]

ArrowHead/Space Epoch has successfully conducted its first VTVL test. The VTVL test vehicle is a stainless steel rocket with a diameter of 4.2m, a length of 26.8m, and a take-off mass of 57 tons. The test lasted 125 seconds, during which the vehicle reached an altitude of 2.5km before performing a soft splashdown landing in the water. The vehicle successively performed eight tasks: ignition and takeoff, full thrust climb, variable thrust adjustments, engine shutdown, free descent glide, engine restart, deceleration to hover on sea surface, and finally soft landing on the sea surface.

One more image.

 

[by78]

A list of manufacturing bases of private launch providers (as of end of 2024).

 

[by78]

The 2m-diamter primary mirror of the Xuntian space telescope being polished.

 

[by78]

^^^ Larger versions of the images taken by Taijing-4 (泰景-4) X-band SAR observation radar. Resolution is better than 1m. The images show the Norfolk naval base and the Kennedy Space Center (launch complex 39B).

Two cargo ships at Norfolk captured by Taijing-4 02A SAR satellite, which is capable of sub-meter resolution.