China's Space Program News Thread

[Temstar]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442774775768788996

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No LES tower? Fairing mounted escape system perhaps?

 

[KampfAlwin]

No LES tower? Fairing mounted escape system perhaps?

To me, it looks like a fairing meant for cargo spacecraft or satellites

 

[escobar]

Another constellation

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442801824478732303

 

[escobar]

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Probably people misreading things.

Shiyan 10 satellite suffered malfunction during the launch. Very sad, it was a classified payload in HEO

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442818934726488070

 

[anzha]

Shiyan 10 satellite suffered malfunction during the launch. Very sad, it was a classified payload in HEO

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1442818934726488070

Some more info on the failure:

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[taxiya]

Can't tell if that's a pre cooled air breathing rocket engine (a la SABRE) or turbo-aided rocket-augmented ram/scramjet engine (TRRE) (the CGI understandably may not be accurate)

It seems to be something similar to SABRE but different.

First of all, China is pursuing multiple paths of Combined Cycle engines. TRRE (paper from Beijing), RBCC (paper from Xi'an) and PATR (papers from Xi'an). PATR is a concept that similar to SABRE that uses helium heat exchange, but differs in:

1. 与SABRE 的差异在于没有LOX/LH2 火箭发动机模式及相应系统. No LOX/LH2 rocket mode. This is a big difference.
2. 空气冷却及氦的加热方式有所差异，各部件的参数不同. Minor difference in heat exchanging.
3. 外涵冲压发动机的工作范围更宽（Ma1.8～6.0）. Broader working speed up to Ma 6.0 instead of 5.5 (quote from the TRRE paper).

All three paths have conducted some tests as reported in this forum.

 

[taxiya]

On the other hand, it looks like the Tengyun 1st stage engine's aft middle might have a turbofan/turbojet component (where the orange airflow is partially diverted into that box with that round object and apparent turbine blades, but it's hard to tell with picture quality).

The SABRE's aft middle is occupied by rocket fuel lines and pumps.

EDIT: And if it was a Sino SABRE, there's no need for the Tengyun second stage since the aircraft can go straight to orbit on a single propulsion set up.

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The Chinese engine is called PATR. It is similar to SABRE in that it uses pre-cooler, but different in that PATR does not have rocket mode, can be seen as a simplified archetecture.

SABRE propels Skylon from Ma 0 to Ma 5.5 at 26km altitude, beyond that SABRE transforms to a rocket engine.

PATR works from Ma 0 to Ma 6, then the carrier (1st) stage fly back to launch site, the 2nd stage enters orbit.

I think the reason for this is that SSTO is too low in payload and takeoff mass ratio, in Chinese view it is too low to be useful.

 

[taxiya]

Differences with SABRE:

1. Does not enter orbit, no need to carry oxidizer for rocket mode.
2. Heat up helium using rocket combustion chamber, removes LH2/Air pre-burner that heats helium.
3. Combustion components reduced from 3 to 2 (because of 2nd point).
4. Modestly lowering 系统循环参数 (what is this?), easy to realize.

系统循环参数 is literally "System Circulation Parameter". It is not Specific Impulse because the article used "比冲" separately.

 

[Skywatcher]

Ah thank you (it reminds a bit of the Reaction Scimitar engine (though the Scimitar seems to be purely a precooled turbofan)).

 

[by78]

A model of the service spacecraft.