China's Space Program Thread II

[Temstar]

I believe you meant that the 1st stage for every CZ-10A will be newly built, whereas after recovery, said 1st stage would be reused for CZ-10B, where it would be recovered + reused and/or discarded?

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2075457369786712461

"CZ-10B is just the mover of CZ-10A's first stage," according to a CASC employee when interviewed by CCTV-13.

View attachment 177964

Wait, so this particular CZ-10B is going to be the only brand new one? All the later ones will be reused 10A or 10B 1st stage?

 

[Michael90]

Really shoping landspace also lands it .

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Yes, safety is paramount for manned missions.

the LM-10A production volume won't be that high, and the safety redundancy for crew members would reduce ELO. The LM-10B is simply an option that makes the best use of it's first stage. The larger, heavier LM-10C, carrying more fuel, will be the real backbone of LM-10 commercial space transportation.

Some additional details from state media which are not new but corroborate some stuff that we've known

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-CZ-10B has a 16t payload to LEO in reusable configuration.
-CZ-10C definitely seems to be in the works and will have a new larger methalox first stage while using the same methalox second stage of CZ-10B.
-Based on the description of CZ-10Bs second stage doing risk reduction on CZ-10C, past existing suspicion that CZ-10Cs first stage may use the same YF-219 engine does rise a little bit

Now, with that being mentioned, I do wonder if we'll see something like CZ-10D sometime in the future - Namely, similar to how the Falcon 9 was developed into Falcon Heavy, this hypothetical rocket would be using one core CZ-10C rocket with two CZ-10C's 1st stage boosters strapped on either side, alongside a longer and/or wider cargo compartment on top.

Theoretically, similar to Falcon Heavy (again), this ought to be able to increase the payload capacity to 50-70 tons (LEO) and 20-30 tons (TLI) (when both are in fully expendable mode), all while still largely using the CZ-10C's body. And given that the CZ-10C's 1st stage is also planned to be reusable, then we might be able to have them doing the same in this hypothetical CZ-10D.

That is, unless they plan to either develop a brand new, ~7 meter-diameter rocket for such payloads (which would negate the need for boosters, similar to New Glenn), or just utilize the CZ-9 while modifying the upper stage's dimensions, or adjusting the cargo + fuel capacities alongside certain performance parameters, or both for ferrying payloads in the aforementioned capacity range.

 

[Michael90]

The Long March 10B has successed.
Other reusable rockets awaiting launch this year include:
Zhuque‑3 (Flight Unit No. 2)
Long March 12A (Flight Unit No. 2)
Long March 10A
Long March 12B

Are they all reusable launches ?

 

[bsdnf]

Some additional details from state media which are not new but corroborate some stuff that we've known

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

-CZ-10B has a 16t payload to LEO in reusable configuration.
-CZ-10C definitely seems to be in the works and will have a new larger methalox first stage while using the same methalox second stage of CZ-10B.
-Based on the description of CZ-10Bs second stage doing risk reduction on CZ-10C, past existing suspicion that CZ-10Cs first stage may use the same YF-219 engine does rise a little bit



I wouldn't go that far.
More like the J-10B moment

The J-10B analogy is apt; it validated the recovery technology for the LM-10A/C and tested the YF-219 on the second stage, but it is by no means CASC's ultimate goal.

A LM-10C with a 20-ton LEO payload capacity and nine YF-219s on the first stage is CASC's intended competitor to the Falcon 9.

 

[Tomboy]

View attachment 177969View attachment 177970View attachment 177971

Now that I think of it, how are they going to adapt this ship for CZ-10C? The booster for that is going to be ~20m longer than CZ-10A/B and there doesn't seem to be much extra space under the booster.

Are they going to build a larger ship for future CZ-10C and 7m LV or the wires are capable of variable resistance so the booster doesn't sink as far down.

 

[bsdnf]

Wait, so this particular CZ-10B is going to be the only brand new one? All the later ones will be reused 10A or 10B 1st stage?

This one is new; the previous one was used in the splashdown experiment.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

Are they all reusable launches ?

Yes, all of them have reusable 1st stages.

 

[bsdnf]

Stream content from 云上天镜SpaceLens : black smoke emitted was exhaust from the Reaction control system. During the final approach to the recovery vessel, the engine replaced the RCS, and toxic exhaust was carried out whenever possible to avoid polluting the recovery vessel.

 

[ACuriousPLAFan]

The Long March 10B has successed.
Other reusable rockets awaiting launch this year include:
Zhuque‑3 (Flight Unit No. 2)
Long March 12A (Flight Unit No. 2)
Long March 10A
Long March 12B

Speaking of which, I wonder whether Tianlong-3 and Kinetica-2 will also be launched (with booster recovery attempt) this year.