China's Space Program News Thread

[windsclouds2030]

People are flipping out over something that's really a nonissue unless the stage crashes into something. I doubt, imaao, it will. The Chinese space agency is more of a pro than that. As I said, let's have a moratorium on the 'Bad China, no cookie' posts.

Back on topic, it will be interesting to see when the first mission to the station will be. Will China send people[1] to the station before the next module? Or will they complete the station first? I'm excited to see what is done.

Post #7,292 by @Dante80 has lot of planned launch schedules:

China's Space Program News Thread

Shoulda, woulda, the West also said lockdown was the wrong approach to COVID and that the right approach should be democracy and transparency. How did that turn out? :rolleyes: Did you stop posting here for two years because b797 aka mig29 aka mig23 got banned and there was no incentive for...

www.sinodefenceforum.com

 

[anzha]

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I don't think I saw a post for this one other than Hendrik's saying it was coming up.

 

[Hendrik_2000]

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I don't think I saw a post for this one other than Hendrik's saying it was coming up.

I did post video of the launch so old news

China's Space Program News Thread

China needs to start developing nuclear thermal propulsion if they haven't long been working on it already. It's great for after you get off the Earth. Great flow rate for fuel mass but dangerous while it's getting boosted into orbit if nothing more than radioactive material itself.

www.sinodefenceforum.com

 

[by78]

An image of the control console for the core module's robotic arm being assembled and tested. Note the joystick on the right.

Artist's impression of the robotic arm in operation:

 

[taxiya]

Very interesting I thought the lab modules simply came and docked to their respective ports, What's stopping them from doing that it's autonomous after all are the Chinese following Mir's method because it's proven and want to reduce risk?

The primary reason IMO is that the docking is on the side rather than on the same axis of orbital movement. Auto docking to the side is the approaching module pushing the other (the main complex) off the orbit. That will make the combined complex off course which need to be corrected by firing rocket to the opposite direction. It is just too dangerous and fuel consuming.

On the other hand in the current practice, the initial axis docking will slow down the complex, but regaining the velocity is much easier because of the built in orbit maintain mechanism. Afterwards, using robotic arm to swing the already physically connected docking module will not change the momentum therefor no orbit correction needed.

 

[taxiya]

Just curious whether it can be disable (easily) by a laser or missile ? ... same case with ISS

You would not want to do that. A kinetic impact will send thousands debris in all directions, a disaster in the movie "Gravity". The same goes with the induced explosion of remaining fuel by a laser. The only advantage of that is safe on the ground, but then we won't have any satellite left.

It is much better to let it enter the atmosphere in one piece and break up afterwards.

 

[taxiya]

And it would be an act of war, I suppose

Of course if it is done by another country other than the owner of the asset even if it is a piece of debris.

 

[AssassinsMace]

All this noise just because they want to stop China from going into space. I remember when China first sent people into space, I read comments that the US should shoot the rocket down. Different excuses, same reason.

 

[taxiya]

The CZ-5 is the rocket with the largest "upper stage" that reaches orbit currently in service anywhere in the world right? Ariane 5's is quite a lot smaller? It's an interesting design the CZ-5 has and the volume of space it can be changed to accommodate is impressive and looks like it's been designed specifically to build the space station. If they truly don't have actual de-orbit systems on CZ-5 rocket (assuming it wasn't a failure of the system and they truly just didn't care), maybe the outrage and media hysteria will push them to create one because give it enough launches to build the station, however slim the chances are that the stage smashes into population builds to unacceptable levels eventually. Honestly it shouldn't be that difficult to do.

Are there any other launch systems that leave very significant upper stages in orbit? Do they all have rocket powered de-orbit systems in place?

You would be right if you said CZ-5B instead. CZ-5 (the base variant) does have a second stage. Yes, CZ-5B is specifically designed for the station.

As it is mission specific, CZ-5B's launches would be within 10 times in its life circle. The core stage returning is NOT anything new that the engineers could miss in their early study. So if they did not build something on it, there is no reason for them to retro-fit it. BTW, the UN convention wasn't something that China is not aware of, so the risk calculation has taken care of it.

It is unacceptable only by western medias, that is all as far as China is concerned. China won't care these noises.

And yes, it is very difficult to do anything to the rocket once you have finished the design. For example, if you reduce the weight of the engine in a new variant, you may think that is good and worth to do. But that will change the center of mass which will lead to massive change to the structure of the rocket and its control system (such as program to control the TVC). If the rocket is close to the end of its service, you won't do anything to it.

I am not aware of any rockets whose upper stage (2nd) are actively de-orbited by rocket power.

 

[davidau]

You would be right if you said CZ-5B instead. CZ-5 (the base variant) does have a second stage. Yes, CZ-5B is specifically designed for the station.

As it is mission specific, CZ-5B's launches would be within 10 times in its life circle. The core stage returning is NOT anything new that the engineers could miss in their early study. So if they did not build something on it, there is no reason for them to retro-fit it. BTW, the UN convention wasn't something that China is not aware of, so the risk calculation has taken care of it.

It is unacceptable only by western medias, that is all as far as China is concerned. China won't care these noises.

And yes, it is very difficult to do anything to the rocket once you have finished the design. For example, if you reduce the weight of the engine in a new variant, you may think that is good and worth to do. But that will change the center of mass which will lead to massive change to the structure of the rocket and its control system (such as program to control the TVC). If the rocket is close to the end of its service, you won't do anything to it.

I am not aware of any rockets whose upper stage (2nd) are actively de-orbited by rocket power.

Well said. China's scientists, engieers are well aware of the core's debris returming through the atmosphere and have calculated the possibility and probabilty that they would land on a populated area is next to zero as they would be burnt to unrecogisable small fragements. What happened to spaceX debris?