I think @Orthan was questioning the whole idea of "super-heavy" rocket regardless of re-usability.
China's Space Program News Thread
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@taxiya
If China wanted they could have gotten the RD-170 years ago from Ukraine. The Ukrainians used the RD-171 variant in the Zenit.
The fact they went with a single nozzle engine (YF-100) based on the technology of the Zenit's second stage engine means they aren't interested in multiple-nozzle engine designs I think. The single nozzle RD-190 variant of the engine has less than twice the power of the YF-100.
I think it is more likely China would develop its own engine if they do it at all.
If China wanted they could have gotten the RD-170 years ago from Ukraine. The Ukrainians used the RD-171 variant in the Zenit.
The fact they went with a single nozzle engine (YF-100) based on the technology of the Zenit's second stage engine means they aren't interested in multiple-nozzle engine designs I think. The single nozzle RD-190 variant of the engine has less than twice the power of the YF-100.
I think it is more likely China would develop its own engine if they do it at all.
In part yes, because they have no usability beyond some mission to the moon or mars, and im very much doubt the dreams of cities or fortress in space.
However the discussion betwen 921 and CZ-9 seems more immediate, because really developing 2 very large rockets at the same time doesnt make sense. I caught attention of several posts about the characteristics of both boosters. I know that 921 doesnt have the same capacity of CZ-9, but i think that its possible to adapt the mission for use by 921, making some sacrifices in return for a large cost cut, which will allow for something more elsewhere.
Regarding CZ-9:
Regarding 921:
So, there may be a dispute betwen the two.
Guys what if we are simply underestimating the Chinese, What if they have a reusable triple 10m rocket in mind? They could leverage the sidebooster tech from 921 and reusable tech from private companies, hell what if it has four 10m side boosters instead of just 2 we are looking at 500t LEO Payload capacity with at least ~$3,000 per kg (Falcon 9) if not cheaper price tag
Sorry I have to pour cold water here.
921's core and boosters are all 5m in diameter with YF-100K engine, there is nothing from it can be used for your suggested 10m rocket (CZ-9) with YF-130, reusable or not.
There is nothing any "private" company can contribute for reusability either. The fact is that CASC is the only entity in China that has an active ongoing development of reusable rockets namely CZ-8R, and probably another one CZ-6X.
"Private" companies in China are developing their first liquid fueled engines right now compared with mature engines in possession by CASC.
To be clear, there is no CASC (SOE) equivalent in the US. All american rockets are made by private companies with NASA (state institution) involved in early research and coordination. All US rocket companies are private whose engineers are all members of NASA's various programs. On the other hand, China's "private" companies have access to resigned CASC engineers only but no possession of CASC's R&D outcomes. So don't expect them to do as great as their US counterparts.
500t LEO without a revolutionary new technology yet to be developed is a fantasy, be it fantasy by Elon Musk or anybody else. Certainly CASC has no plan of it in their road map.
The Chairman of CASC's speech 2020-11-04. Some takeaways:
纵观国际航天运输系统发展态势，吴燕生指出，各国正立足长远优化型谱，布局更新换代；大国角逐重型运载火箭，助力探月探火；重复使用技术不断发展，成为进出空间的重要方式；航天产品正实现大规模生产制造，全面步入产业化。要以建设航天强国为目标，以世界一流为标准，规模与效益并重，能力与影响并举，实现按需发射、自由进出空间，建设支撑行星探测等标志性重大工程的航天运输系统。
长征十一号运载火箭海上发射
吴燕生重点介绍了对航天运输系统重点问题的科学认识与未来构想。他指出，“运载能力”“可靠性/安全性”“发射成本”“研制效率”是衡量一个国家进出空间水平的4个维度。要研制重复使用运载火箭及重型运载火箭，进一步优化完善火箭型谱，实现航天运输系统智能化，全面提升我国航天运输系统运载能力。
The bold texts says:
1. Every major space powers are competing in developing heavy lift launchers. Note, Chinese heavy lift is SLS block2 (130t), Saturn V (128t) and N-1 class (>90t), anything with LEO 100t and above.
2. (China) should develop reusable launcher and heavy lift launcher. Note, the sentence does not imply a heavy lift being reusable.
The conclusion is that at least in CASC's vision, CZ-9 is settled, unless the political leadership changes their mind (unlikely), it is a done deal. Hypothetically there is much higher chance that SLS block2 being cancelled than CZ-9 being cancelled.
It may be nitpicking but why is that the english initials are bigger than the chinese ones?
PiSigma
"the engineer"
Because they are private...
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