China's Space Program News Thread

[SinoSoldier]

A few additional tidbits of information about the Kuaizhou-31 launch vehicle:

1. The rocket motor (solid fueled) diameter will be 4.5 meters and is to undergo an ignition test in a month. This is according to a science magazine that reportedly got the information from one of the engineers working on the program.

2. It will be used to launch core components of the Chinese space station, including (as per rumors) the core module. The KZ-21 would be the ideal launch vehicle for this.

3. With a LEO payload of 70 tons, its engineer is claiming that it will be the largest solid-fueled launch vehicle ever built.

4. The KZ-21 and KZ-31 may also be used to launch future cargo spacecraft (possibly developed by the same institution). In essence, the two rockets will be used for a variety of deep-space and near-Earth missions.

 

[Jiang ZeminFanboy]

So what about the Long March 5, only GTO and lunar mission for lm5?

 

[Equation]

Zap it good!

Chinese scientists unveil plan to zap space junk with orbital lasers

Johannes Gerhardus Swanepoel


There have been more than a few proposals for eliminating space junk, such as

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,

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and

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. The latest idea, however, may be the most dramatic... and the most effective. Chinese researchers have successfully

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an orbital laser station that would zap small debris (under 4 inches long). The system would zap targets with 20 bursts of light per second for 2 minutes, either deflecting the junk out of harm's way or sending it to a fiery end in the atmosphere.

The team has determined that it would be logistically feasible to launch stations like this. However, it's not just a simple matter of building them -- there are numerous questions to be answered. How many of these stations would you need, and where? Who builds them? And if China builds them, how does it reassure other countries that this is strictly for space junk rather than a weapon? This could easily require a significant amount of planning and international collaboration before it becomes more than a simulation.

Still, there's plenty of incentive to make this happen. Space debris is becoming a serious problem, to the point where International Space Station crew members had to be

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. This won't get rid of entire dead satellites and other large junk, but it could get rid of the many, many tiny objects that threaten active spacecraft.

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[SinoSoldier]

So what about the Long March 5, only GTO and lunar mission for lm5?

The CZ-5B will also play a central part in the space station construction. I guess the CNSA prefers to have different types of launch vehicles so that the project isn't wholly dependent on the success of one type of launcher.

 

[Quickie]

So what about the Long March 5, only GTO and lunar mission for lm5?

For higher orbits and moon mission, the Long March 5 with its liquid fuel engines, at least in the stages after the booster stage, are more fuel efficient.

 

[Dolcevita]

No more Galileo-like treachery. OK?

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China, Europe jointly test technology for storm satellite
January 17, 2018

This Friday, Sept. 30, 2016 file photo shows a view into the control room at the European Space Agency in Darmstadt, Germany. The European Space Agency said Wednesday, Jan. 17, 2018, it has teamed up with China's National Space Center to conduct ground tests on two complementary devices designed to deliver high-resolution images from an orbit of 36,000 kilometers (22,370 miles). (AP Photo/Michael Probst, File)

China and Europe are jointly testing new technology that could help satellites peer through clouds and analyze storms.

The European Space Agency says it has teamed up with China's National Space Center to conduct ground tests on two complementary devices designed to deliver high-resolution images from an orbit of 36,000 kilometers (22,370 miles).

The agency said Wednesday that if the tests are successful, the next stage would be a space mission. It is the first time Europe and China have worked together to test and build an instrument.

Current satellite systems are unable to gather the temperature and humidity data needed to accurately monitor storms.

The tropical cyclones in the northwest Pacific, known as typhoons, pose a serious threat to China and other countries in the region each year.

 

[Quickie]

Zap it good!

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So after reading it, it's actually zapping the debris to move it, rather than burn it up. Amazing idea.

 

[Hendrik_2000]

Finally domestic atom clock. From Henri K blog
The new Beidou-3 Chinese positioning satellites are each equipped with a hydrogen clock and a rubidium clock designed by CASIC. For the moment both are working in a nominal way.

 

[Equation]

So after reading it, it's actually zapping the debris to move it, rather than burn it up. Amazing idea.

Yes, but zapping that debris to enter and burning up into the atmosphere.

 

[Quickie]

Yes, but zapping that debris to enter and burning up into the atmosphere.

That's correct. And also to move the larger debris away from a collision path.