China Outer Space Science, Technology and Explorations: News & Updates

[onebyone]

• China Plans to Land Probes on Far Side of Moon, Mars by 2020
  
  
• By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

BEIJING — Dec 26, 2016, 10:59 PM



China has set out its space plans for the next five years, including soft landing a probe on the far side of the moon around 2018 and launching its first Mars probe by 2020.

China says in a white paper released Tuesday that it is determined to speed up the development of its space industry. While Russia and the United States have more experience in space travel, China's military-backed program has already made steady progress in a comparatively short time.

Since China conducted its first crewed space mission in 2003, it has staged a spacewalk, landed a rover on the moon, and launched two experimental space stations.

The white paper reiterated plans to launch China's first Mars probe to explore and bring back samples of the red planet by 2020.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/china-plans-land-probes-side-moon-mars-2020-44408237

 

[ahojunk]

Nation to send unmanned probes to Mars, Jupiter by 2030
(Chinadaily.com.cn) 08:30, December 28, 2016

China launches space lab Tiangong-2 into space on Sept 15, 2016, paving the way for
a permanent space station the country plans to build around 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]​

China plans to send unmanned probes to explore Mars and Jupiter by 2030, said a senior space official.

Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the China National Space Administration, said at a news conference in Beijing on Tuesday that the government has decided to send a robotic probe to Mars to orbit and land on the red planet around 2020. The probe will conduct scientific research on the Martian soil and atmosphere and search for signs of water.

"The project has proceeded well since it was approved in January. Now we have finalized the overall plan and begun to develop related equipment such as the Mars rover," he said.

A larger probe also will set off for Mars around 2030 to take samples and return to Earth, he said.

The conference was held by the State Council Information Office to issue the China's Space Activities in 2016 white paper, which reviews progress made in 2016 and discloses major tasks for the next five years.

Jupiter as well as its moons will be visited by at least one unmanned probe from China before 2030, Wu said.

Illustrations show the country's first Mars probe consisting of three parts — an orbiter, lander and rover. The rover will have six wheels and four solar panels.

The probe is expected to take nearly seven months before reaching the red planet, said Zhang Rongqiao, chief scientist of China's Mars exploration program.

The rover will carry 13 scientific instruments, weigh about 200 kilograms and work 92 days on the planet, according to Sun Zezhou, chief designer of the probe.

Wu also said Tuesday that the Chang'e 5 lunar probe will be sent to the moon by the end of 2017 to take samples and return to Earth. In 2018, Chang'e 4 will carry out the world's first soft landing — using rockets to slow descent — on the far side of the moon.

China has launched three robotic lunar exploration missions, including one that soft-landed a rover on the moon.

To realize China's grand aspirations, scientists have started to design a super-heavy rocket, the Long March 9, and plan to put it to use around 2030, Wu said.


********

Mars by 2020 and Jupiter by 2030.

.

 

[The SC]

White paper sets out China's vision as a space power


In-Depth Coverage

(Xinhua) 19:39, December 27, 2016

China aims to become a space power, according to a white paper on the nation's space activities issued on Tuesday.

The white paper, titled "China's Space Activities in 2016," was the fourth white paper on the country's space activities issued by the State Council Information Office, following the previous three in 2000, 2006 and 2011.

"The white paper sets out our vision of China as a space power, independently researching, innovating, discovering and training specialist personnel," said Wu Yanhua, deputy chief of the China National Space Administration at a press conference.

China's space industry took off 60 years ago and April 24 was declared National Space Day in 2016 as a focus for pioneering spirit and enthusiasm for innovation, Wu said.

PEACEFUL USE OF SPACE

China always adheres to the principle of the use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and opposes the weaponization of or an arms race in outer space, the white paper said.

The country develops and utilizes space resources in a prudent manner, takes effective measures to protect the space environment to ensure a peaceful and clean outer space and guarantee that its space activities benefit the whole of mankind.

In the next five years and beyond China will uphold the concepts of innovative, balanced, green, open and shared development, and promote the comprehensive development of space science, space technology and space applications, so as to contribute to both serving national development and improving the well-being of mankind, according to the white paper.

RAPID PROGRESS SINCE 2011

The new developments are "manifested by markedly enhanced capacity in independent innovation and access to outer space," and "constant improvement in space infrastructure," said the white paper.

The progress is also evidenced by "smooth implementation of major projects such as manned spaceflight, lunar exploration, the BeiDou Navigation System and high-resolution earth observation system, and substantial achievements in space science, technology and applications."

According to the white paper, "the Long March carrier rocket series completed 86 launch missions, sending over 100 spacecraft into target orbit" from 2011 to November 2016.

In September and October 2016, the Tiangong-2 space laboratory and Shenzhou-11 manned spacecraft were launched and formed an assembly that operates steadily, with the mission of carrying out science and technology experiments in space, the white paper said.

The mission indicates that "China has mastered technologies concerning astronauts' mid-term stay in orbit, and long-term ground mission support," according to the white paper.

TASKS FOR NEXT FIVE YEARS

China will continue its lunar exploration project in the next five years, and strive to attain the automated extraterrestrial sampling and returning technology by space explorers.

Around 2018, the nation will carry out the Chang'e-4 mission to achieve the first soft landing of mankind's probe on the far side of the moon.

The Chang'e-4 lunar probe will "conduct in situ and roving detection and relay communications at earth-moon L2 point."

China plans to launch its first Mars probe by 2020 and grasp key technologies for orbiting, landing and roving exploration.

It will conduct further studies and key technological research on the bringing back of samples from Mars, asteroid exploration, exploration of the Jupiter system and planet fly-by exploration, according to the white paper.

China plans to form a BeiDou network consisting of 35 satellites for global navigation services by 2020, and to start providing basic services to countries along the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st-century Maritime Silk Road in 2018.

China will activate the heavy-lift launch vehicle project in next five years, according to the white paper.

"Endeavors will be made to research key technologies and further study the plans for developing heavy-lift launch vehicles," said the document.

Breakthroughs are expected in key technologies for the overall system, high-thrust liquid oxygen and kerosene engines, and oxygen and hydrogen engines of such launch vehicles.

INT'L COOPERATION

Since 2011 China has signed 43 space cooperation agreements or memoranda of understanding with 29 countries, space agencies and international organizations.

China has taken part in relevant activities sponsored by the United Nations and other relevant international organizations, and supported international commercial cooperation in space. These measures have yielded fruitful results.

In the next five years China will conduct extensive international exchanges and cooperation concerning space in several key areas, such as construction of the BRICS remote-sensing satellite constellation, and construction of the Belt and Road Initiative Space Information Corridor.

Moreover, cooperative researches on space law, policy and standards and personnel exchanges will be further enhanced in the space field.

"China always adheres to the principle that international exchanges and cooperation should be strengthened on the basis of equality and mutual benefit, peaceful utilization and inclusive development." the white paper said.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/library/news/2016/space-161227pdo01.htm?_m=3n%2e002a%2e1900%2efu0ao0a9bc%2e1qwb

 

[艹艹艹]

http://spaceflight101.com/2016-space-launch-statistics/
2016 Space Launch Statistics
December 31, 2016




The year 2016 saw a total of 85 known orbital launch attempts operated by eight nations from space ports in nine different countries. 2016 ranks third in the current century in terms of the total number of orbital launch attempts, short to 92 attempts in 2014 and 87 in 2015, and tied with 85 attempts in 2000.

In the lead for 2016 are the United States and China, each with 22 orbital launch attempts. Russia was not able to keep its leading position in the number of annual launches it held since 2004 and ranks third with 19 performed launches. Europe's rockets flew nine times this year while India continued to catch up to the big players in the space business and carried out seven orbital missions plus a pair of sub-orbital technology demonstration missions to feed into future launch vehicle development. Japanese launchers flew four times this year, Israel launched one mission and North Korea carried out a single, controversial orbital mission.

2016 saw two failed launches on missions operated by China and Russia, China also suffered a partial failure and a pair of missions of the U.S. and Russia had close calls but achieved all mission success criteria. Furthermore, one operational orbital launch vehicle and its payload were lost in a testing accident.

 

[SherDil]

Spotting Tiangong-2: How to See China's New Space Lab Overhead


Now is a good time to view China's newly launched space lab.

Tiangong-2 launched Sept. 15 from China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center aboard a Long March 2F rocket. The orbiting laboratory, which is expected to be occupied by two astronauts later this month, should be readily visible to early risers over the next couple of weeks.

It will be available again in the first half of November, but during more convenient evening hours. [China's Tiangong-2 Space Lab Mission in Pictures]

Regions of visibility
The International Space Station orbits Earth in a 51.6-degree inclined orbit that ranges from 233 miles to 248 miles (376 to 399 kilometers) high and is visible from 95 percent of the inhabited land on Earth.

But Tiangong-2 (whose name means "Heavenly Palace" in Mandarin) orbits Earth at a somewhat lower inclination of 42.8 degrees and at a lower altitude of 122 to 214 miles (197 to 345 km). As such, it is visible from about 80 percent of inhabited land areas.

For places north of about latitude 60 degrees north, Tiangong-2 will never rise above the horizon to be visible. This includes much of Alaska, the northern half of Canada, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland. And for places just a short distance farther to the south, Tiangong-2 will never get very high above the southern horizon, an altitude of less than 10 degrees (the apparent width of your clenched fist held at arm's length). This includes the cities of Juneau, Alaska; Edmonton, Canada; Dublin, Ireland; and Copenhagen, Denmark.

But for those regions of the globe from 42.8 degrees south (near Christchurch, New Zealand) to 42.8 degrees north (near Boston), Tiangong-2 can occasionally appear to arc high across the sky, even passing directly overhead at times. [Planets, Constellations and Meteors: Oct. 2016 Skywatching Video]

What to look for
The appearance of this newly launched Chinese spacecraft moving across the sky is not in itself unusual.

Truth be told, on any clear evening within a couple hours of local sunset and with no optical aid, you can usually spot a number of artificial satellites creeping across the sky like moving stars. Satellites become visible only when they are in sunlight and the observer is in deep twilight or darkness. This usually means shortly after dusk or before dawn.

What makes these upcoming passes so interesting is that you'll be able to see China's newest space laboratory module, which is expected to set the stage for the future of that country's ambitious space program — an important part of China's stepping-stone strategy to human spaceflight.

Between Oct. 9 and Oct. 24, Tiangong-2 will be visible across the United States, southern Canada and much of Europe as a morning object, sailing across the sky before sunrise. And from about Oct. 31 through Nov. 16, Tiangong-2 will be visible after sunset in the evening sky.

And this is a sight that should be easily visible to anyone, even those located in brightly lit cities. More often than not, Tiangong-2 should shine with a brightness of about magnitude +2, making it easily visible with the naked eye.

Magnitude 2 is as bright as Polaris, the North Star, on astronomers' brightness rating scale. The brightest stars are of magnitude 0 and +1; the faintest stars are in the range of magnitude +5 or +6 (the lower the number, the brighter the object). On its most favorable/highest passes, Tiangong-2 could shine as brightly as magnitude +1. For passes where it appears very low above the horizon, the Chinese space laboratory will appear dimmer, perhaps with a magnitude of only +3 or +4.





When and where to look
To find out the best time to view Tiangong-2 from your hometown, visit one of these two websites:

http://spaceweather.com/flybys/

http://www.heavens-above.com/

Each will ask either for your ZIP code or city, and respond with a list of suggested spotting times. Predictions computed a few days ahead of time are usually accurate to within a few minutes. However, these forecasts can change due to the slow decay of the object's orbit, so check frequently for updates.

Another great site is http://www.n2yo.com/?s=41765, which provides real-time satellite tracking. It shows you the locations over the Earth where any of a number of satellites may be, at any given moment during the day or night.

Busy times ahead
Tiangong-2 is the second operational component of China's Tiangong program, which aims to place a larger, modular station into orbit by the year 2023.

Later this month, Tiangong-2 is expected to have company. Shenzhou-11, a planned crewed mission of China's Shenzhou program, is scheduled to launch on Oct. 17. Shenzhou-11 will dock with the Tiangong-2 space laboratory; its crew of two will then stay aboard the lab for 30 days. A Tianzhou-1 cargo vehicle is also expected to dock with the new space lab to deliver supplies.

Tiangong-2 replaces the prototype module Tiangong-1, which launched in September 2011 and lost contact with ground stations last March. In September, after conceding they had lost control over the station, officials announced that Tiangong-1 would probably burn up in Earth's atmosphere late in 2017.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine, the Farmer's Almanac and other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, N.Y. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.

 

[ahojunk]

China to send record 30 missions into space in 2017
Source:Global Times | Published: 2017/1/3 23:03:40

China plans to conduct some 30 space launch missions in 2017, a record-breaking number in the country's space history, said China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Long March-5 and Long March-7 rockets will be used to carry out most of the space missions this year, the China News Service reported.

Long March-5 is China's largest carrier rocket. The successful test launch of the vehicle in November in South China's Hainan Province will pave the way for space station construction, analysts said.

Wang Yu, general director of the Long March-5 program, said 2017 is a critical year for China's new generation of carrier rockets and the Long March-5 rockets will carry Chang'e-5 probe to the space. The probe will land on the moon, collect samples and return to Earth.

On the other hand, Long March-7, the more powerful version of Long March-2, will send China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 into the space in the first half of 2017, according to Wang Zhaoyao, director of China Manned Space Engineering Office. Tianzhou-1 is expected to dock with Tiangong-2 space lab and conduct experiments on propellant supplement.

China conducted 22 launch missions in 2016 and 19 in 2015. The country successfully tested its Long March-7 rocket in June last year and has gradually shifted to new generation rockets that reduce the use of toxic rocket fuels.

Last Month, China released a white paper on space activities, announcing plans to soft land Chang'e-5 on the moon by the end of 2017 and launch its first Mars probe by 2020.

After Chang'e-5, China will launch the Chang'e-4 lunar probe around 2018 to achieve mankind's first soft landing on the far side of the moon and conduct in situ and roving detection and relay communications at Earth-moon L2 point.

The white paper also says that in the next five years, China will provide space and aviation-related services to countries involved in the One Belt and One Road initiative, such as satellite communications, navigation and weather forecasting analysis.

 

[Daniel808]

China to send record 30 missions into space in 2017
Source:Global Times | Published: 2017/1/3 23:03:40

China plans to conduct some 30 space launch missions in 2017, a record-breaking number in the country's space history, said China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.

Long March-5 and Long March-7 rockets will be used to carry out most of the space missions this year, the China News Service reported.

Long March-5 is China's largest carrier rocket. The successful test launch of the vehicle in November in South China's Hainan Province will pave the way for space station construction, analysts said.

Wang Yu, general director of the Long March-5 program, said 2017 is a critical year for China's new generation of carrier rockets and the Long March-5 rockets will carry Chang'e-5 probe to the space. The probe will land on the moon, collect samples and return to Earth.

On the other hand, Long March-7, the more powerful version of Long March-2, will send China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 into the space in the first half of 2017, according to Wang Zhaoyao, director of China Manned Space Engineering Office. Tianzhou-1 is expected to dock with Tiangong-2 space lab and conduct experiments on propellant supplement.

China conducted 22 launch missions in 2016 and 19 in 2015. The country successfully tested its Long March-7 rocket in June last year and has gradually shifted to new generation rockets that reduce the use of toxic rocket fuels.

Last Month, China released a white paper on space activities, announcing plans to soft land Chang'e-5 on the moon by the end of 2017 and launch its first Mars probe by 2020.

After Chang'e-5, China will launch the Chang'e-4 lunar probe around 2018 to achieve mankind's first soft landing on the far side of the moon and conduct in situ and roving detection and relay communications at Earth-moon L2 point.

The white paper also says that in the next five years, China will provide space and aviation-related services to countries involved in the One Belt and One Road initiative, such as satellite communications, navigation and weather forecasting analysis.

It is CASC that plans 30 launches in 2017. Launches of CASIC and commercial aerospace companies are not included.

That's show us, The Power of China's Space Industry and Technology.

 

[ahojunk]

China's lunar probe sets 'small goal': to retrieve moon dust samples in 2017
(People's Daily Online) 16:49, January 03, 2017

In 2017, China’s space industry will continue to move forward with a number of important projects, from lunar probes and the Beidou navigation system to experimental satellites.

Tianzhou-1 under test​

Cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 to deliver propellant to Tiangong-2

China's first cargo spacecraft Tianzhou-1 will be sent into the space in the first half of 2017, blasting off from Hainan province. It will dock with the Tiangong-2 space station to carry out experiments.

According to Li Jian, vice director of Beijing Aerospace Control Center, Tianzhou-1 has two independently designed propellant tanks. It will deliver one tank of propellant to the space station; the propellant for its own use can also be transferred to the space station.

The design of its orbit is different from those of previous spacecraft.

"The Shenzhou spacecraft completes 31 laps to finish docking," Li explained. "The cargo spacecraft can fly more laps to save fuel, which is used to adjust its position. The more [fuel] it saves, the more it can supply to the space station." Li said a fast docking experiment would also be conducted. After docking with Tiangong-2, Tianzhou-1 will operate for about six months.

Lunar probe Chang'e-3 lands on the moon. [File photo]​

Chang'e-5 lunar probe to retrieve moon dust samples

China will launch the Chang'e-5 lunar probe around December 2017. The probe will land on the moon's surface and retrieve moon dust samples.

According to Ye Peijian, an academician with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chang’e-5 is composed of four modules: a service module, a return vehicle, a lander and an ascent vehicle. After entering moon orbit, the lander and ascent vehicle will land on the moon. The sample-collecting device on the lander will take samples and place them aboard the ascent vehicle, which will take off from the moon's surface and dock with the service module and return vehicle. After transferring the samples to the service module, the ascent vehicle will separate from the service module and return vehicle. The service module and return vehicle will fly toward Earth and finally separate just thousands of kilometers away from the ground. The samples will be carried to Earth by the return vehicle.

According to Hu Hao, chief designer of the third phase of China’s lunar probe project, the Chang’e-5 weighs 8.2 tons. It will be launched by the Long March-5 rocket.

The Beidou navigation system will begin to build a global network in the new year. At present, there are 22 Beidou navigation satellites in orbit. Of them, seven are new-generation satellites.

“If we can launch 18 new Beidou satellites before 2018, a global constellation will be formed,” said Ran Chengqi.

China will also launch the Gaofen-5 remote sensing satellite and Chinasat-16 broadcasting and communication satellite among others in the new year.

 

[onebyone]

Long March 3B launches second TJSW spacecraft for China
January 5, 2017 by Rui C. Barbosa

China kicked off its 2017 campaign with the successful launch of the second Tongxin Jishu Shiyan Weixing (TJSW) spacecraft from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center. Launch took place at 15:15 UTC on Thursday using the Long March-3B/G2 ‘Chang Zheng-3B/G2’ (Y39) launch vehicle from the LC2 launch complex.


Chinese Launch:

This launch was set to be the final mission of 2016, which would have seen China become the dominate launch nation of the year. However, based on a tiebreaker rule, USA won the title with the same amount of launches in the 12 month period.

As with the previous launch of Communications Engineering Test Satellite -1 ‘TJSW-1’, there is isn’t much information regarding the satellite.

When TJSW-1 was launched on September 12, 2015, Chinese authorities said the new satellite was a geostationary communications technology test satellite to be mainly used to conduct a test on Ka-band in broadband communication (frequencies between 27 and 40 GHz).
Previous to the launch of TJSW-1, there were rumors circling on specialized Chinese space forums that pointed to the launch of the first Great Wall (Changcheng) satellite, a new series of Chinese satellites dedicated to early warning similar to the American Space Based Infra-Red Sensor satellites.

Back then, Japan’s Kyodo News reported that China was building a missile defense system to detect a ballistic missile attack. The report was based on Chinese military documents that referred the development of an experimental early warning satellite program.

Additionally, the report pointed out that China had started the development of an X-band radar system as part of a ground-based interceptor system.

Eventually, TJSW-1 was orbited in a geostationary orbit and no other information was revealed. Later it was known that the satellite had successfully deployed China’s first large aperture reflector antenna in orbit.

The same secrecy surrounds the launch of TJSW-2. Observers noted that a new launch was ‘added’ to the Chinese schedule with rumors of a new geostationary launch out of Xichang in late December. The lack of information and the nature of the launch preparations, with only marginal references to the payload, point to the secretive nature of the satellite.

Launch vehicle and launch site:

To meet the demand of international satellite launch market, especially for high power and heavy communications satellites, the development of Long March-3B (Chang Zheng-3B) launch vehicle was started in 1986 on the basis of the fight proven technology of Long March launch vehicles, mainly from the Chang Zheng-3A.

The CZ-3B features enlarged launch propellant tanks, improved computer systems, a larger 4.2 meter diameter payload fairing and the addition of four strap-on boosters in the core stage that provide additional help during the first phase of the launch.

The rocket is capable of launching a 11,200 kg satellite to a low Earth orbit or a 5,100 kg cargo to a geosynchronous transfer orbit.

The CZ-3B/G2 (Enhanced Version) launch vehicle was developed from the CZ-3B with a lengthened first core stage and strap-on boosters, increasing the GTO capacity up to 5,500kg.

On May 14, 2007, the first flight of CZ-3B/G2 was performed successfully, accurately sending the NigcomSat-1 into pre-determined orbit. With the GTO launch capability of 5,500kg, CZ-3B/G2 is dedicated for launching heavy GEO communications satellite.

The rocket structure also combines all sub-systems together and is composed of four strap-on boosters, a first stage, a second stage, a third stage and payload fairing.

The first two stages – as well as the four strap-on boosters – use hypergolic (N2O4/UDMH) fuel while the third stage uses cryogenic (LOX/LH2) fuel. The total length of the CZ-3B is 54.838 meters, with a diameter of 3.35 meters on the core stage and 3.00 meters on the third stage.

On the first stage, the CZ-3B uses a YF-21C engine with a 2,961.6 kN thrust and a specific impulse of 2,556.5 Ns/kg. The first stage diameter is 3.35 m and the stage length is 23.272 m.

Each strap-on booster is equipped with a YF-25 engine with a 740.4 kN thrust and a specific impulse of 2,556.2 Ns/kg. The strap-on booster diameter is 2.25 m and the strap-on booster length is 15.326 m.

The second stage is equipped with a YF-24E (main engine – 742 kN / 2,922.57 Ns/kg; four vernier engines – 47.1 kN / 2,910.5 Ns/kg each). The second stage diameter is 3.35 m and the stage length is 12.920 m.

The third stage is equipped with a YF-75 engine developing 167.17 kN and with a specific impulse of 4,295 Ns/kg. The fairing diameter of the CZ-3B is 4.00 meters and has a length of 9.56 meters.

The CZ-3B can also use the new Yuanzheng-1 (“Expedition-1″) upper stage that uses a small thrust 6.5 kN engine burning UDMH/N2O4 with the specific impulse at 3,092 m/s. The upper stage is able to conduct two burns, having a 6.5 hour lifetime and is capable of achieving a variety of orbits. This upper stage was not used on this launch.

Typical flight sequence for the CZ-3B/G2 sees the launch pitching over 10 seconds after liftoff from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre. Boosters shutdown 2 minutes and 7 seconds after liftoff, separation from the first stage one second latter. First stage shutdown takes place at 1 minutes 25 seconds into the flight.

Separation between the first and second stage takes place at 1 minute 26 seconds, following fairing separation at T+3 minutes 35 seconds. Stage 2 main engine shutdown occurs 326 seconds into the flight, following by the shutdown of the vernier engines 15 seconds later.

Separation between the second and the third stage and the ignition of the third stage takes place one second after the shutdown of the vernier engines of the second stage. The first burn of the third stage will last for 4 minutes and 44 seconds.

After the end of the first burn of the third stage follows a coast phase that ends at T+20 minutes and 58 seconds with the third stage initiating its second burn. This will have a 179 seconds duration. After the end of the second burn of the third stage, the launcher initiates a 20 second velocity adjustment maneuver. Spacecraft separation usually takes place at T+25 minutes 38 seconds after launch.

The first launch from Xichang took place at 12:25UTC on January 29, 1984, when the Chang Zheng-3 (Y-1) was launched the Shiyan Weixing (14670 1984-008A) communications satellite into orbit.

The Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is situated in the Sichuan Province, south-western China and is the country’s launch site for geosynchronous orbital launches.

Equipped with two launch pads (LC2 and LC3), the center has a dedicated railway and highway lead directly to the launch site.

The Command and Control Centre is located seven kilometers south-west of the launch pad, providing flight and safety control during launch rehearsal and launch.

The CZ-3B launch pad is located at 28.25 deg. N – 102.02 deg. E and at an elevation of 1,825 meters.

Other facilities on the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre are the Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, communications systems for launch command, telephone and data communications for users, and support equipment for meteorological monitoring and forecasting.

No related posts.

https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/01/long-march-3b-with-second-tjsw/

 

[ahojunk]

New map of the Moon under creation in China
2017-01-05 15:47 | Xinhua | Editor: Gu Liping

Chinese scientists are drawing a 1:2.5 million scale geological map of the Moon.

Ouyang Ziyuan, first chief scientist of China's lunar exploration program, said five universities and research institutes have set standards for digital mapping and drawing of the Moon's geological structure.

A sketch version of the map, 4.36 meters by 2.2 meters, will be finished by 2018, and released by 2020.

The map will provide information on geology, structure and rock types and will reflect the timeline of the Moon's evolution.

Chen Shengbo, a geologist with Jilin University in northeast China's Jilin Province, and his team are responsible for drawing the lunar structure outline, just one part of the work. He said the map would clearly show lunar geography such as geographic fractures and the size, appearance, and the structure of craters.

Chen said mapping depends on data and images sent by circumlunar satellites from home and abroad. Lunar map making is not like drawing a map of the Earth, where scientists can go to the scene in person if they are not sure of their information.

China's satellites have captured global images of the Moon, which contribute to the precision of lunar maps.

 

[Chanakyaa]

Congratulations !!

 

[TaiShang]

Private firm inks intl contract for commercial rocket launch
China Daily, January 16, 2017

Landspace Technology Corporation, a private aerospace company based in Beijing, said it has secured a contract with Gomspace, a Danish company, to launch a series of satellites.

China's Long March series carrier rockets. [Photo/Xinhua]​

It is the first time for a private Chinese company to provide satellite launching services to the international market, the company said Saturday.

According to the contract, Landspace will use its Landspace-1 rocket to put Gomspace's satellites into orbit in 2018.

Landspace CEO Zhang Changwu said his company could not have won recognition from the overseas client without decades of efforts by Chinese workers in the aerospace industry, which has been developing for 60 years.

The total value of the global aerospace market could hit 485 billion U.S. dollars by 2020, according to market estimates, with the market value in China alone reaching 800 billion yuan ($116 billion dollars) during the 2016-2020 period.

Sun Jiadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the aerospace industry matters not only for space exploration, but also for economic and social development.

The civil aerospace industry has great potential and will grow very quickly, Sun said.

 

[Shotgunner51]

China aerospace firm to launch Danish satellites
Source:Xinhua Published: 2017/1/15 22:38:40

Landspace Technology Corp, a private aerospace company based in Beijing, said it has secured a contract with Gomspace, a Danish company, to launch a series of satellites, the Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday.

It is the first time for a private Chinese company to provide satellite launching services on the international market, the company said on Saturday. According to the contract, Landspace will use its Landspace-1 rocket to put Gomspace's satellites into orbit in 2018.

Landspace CEO Zhang Changwu said his company could not have won recognition from the overseas client without decades of efforts by Chinese workers in the aerospace industry, which has been developing for 60 years.

The total value of the global aerospace market could hit $485 billion by 2020, according to market estimates, with the value in China alone reaching 800 billion yuan ($116 billion) during the 2016-20 period.

Sun Jiadong, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the aerospace industry matters not only for space exploration, but also for economic and social development.

The civil aerospace industry has great potential and will grow very quickly, Sun said.

http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/1028945.shtml



Private Chinese aerospace company signs first international contract for commercial rocket launch
2017-01-14 19:39:11 CRIENGLISH.com

Landspace Technology CEO Zhang Changwu speaks at the signing ceremony,
Jan. 13, 2017. [Photo: Xinhua]​

A private aerospace company in Beijing has signed a contract with a Danish company involving the launching of a series of satellites using the Chinese company's LandSpace-1 rocket.

With the signing of the contract on Friday, Landspace Technology Corporation has become the first Chinese company to develop its own commercial rockets and provide services to the international marketplace.

Landspace Technology CEO Zhang Changwu shakes hands with Gomspace representative
at the signing ceremony, Jan. 13, 2017. [Photo: Chinanews]​

The launch will take place next year. A payload of satellites made by Gomspace, a company that manufactures small and micro-satellites and which has clients all over the world, will be put into orbit.

Landspace CEO Zhang Changwu said that next year's launch would not have been possible if not for the decades of efforts that have been made by Chinese staff in the aerospace sector.

"China's aerospace industry has been developing for 60 years, and we will take part in the next chapter," he added.

Market predictions show that the total value of the global aerospace market will reach 485 billion U.S. dollars by 2020. It has been said that the market in China alone will be able to reach 800 billion Yuan during China's 13th Five Year Plan, from 2016 to 2020.

http://english.cri.cn/12394/2017/01/14/2281s949740.htm

 

[ahojunk]

Name, logo design of China Mars Exploration Project online poll
(People's Daily Online) 16:45, January 18, 2017

A logo design for the China Mars Exploration Project (Photo/CCTV NEWS)​

The top eight names and logo designs for the China Mars Exploration Project have already been selected during a preliminary assessment in Beijing on Jan. 16, CCTV News reported.

The evaluation committee consists of 32 experts, including astronautics authorities, graphic design professionals and celebrities. The eight name choices are: Fenghuang (phoenix), Tianwen (questioning heaven), Tenglong (flying dragon), Qilin (kylin, a mythical creature in various East Asian cultures), Zhuque (rosefinch), Huoxing (Mars), Zhuimeng (chasing dream), and Fengxiang (flying phoenix).

A logo design for the China Mars Exploration Project (Photo/CCTV NEWS)​

The global call for name and logo designs began on Aug. 23, 2016 and ended on Nov. 10, 2016. The 80-day solicitation saw 35,912 names submitted, of which 14,503 were accepted as valid; 7,439 logos were also sent in, of which 3,239 were valid.

A one-month online vote, starting from Jan. 20, will be arranged for the public to choose their favorite name and logo design from the shortlist. The evaluation committee will then conduct a final assessment based on the poll results. The official name and logo are expected to be released around China's 2017 Space Day.

A logo design for the China Mars Exploration Project (Photo/CCTV NEWS)​

China's State Council designated April 24 as Space Day in 2016, choosing that occasion to celebrate the anniversary of China's first satellite launch.

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[Daniel808]

China's First Cargo Spacecraft to leave Factory
Source: Xinhua 2017-01-17 16:43:22

BEIJING, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- China's first cargo spacecraft will leave the factory, according to the website of China's manned space mission.

A review meeting was convened last Thursday, during which officials and experts unanimously concluded that the Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft had met all the requirements to leave the factory.

The take-off weight of Tianzhou-1 is 13 tonnes and it can ship material of up to six tonnes.

The spacecraft, which is scheduled to be launched in April from the southern province of Hainan, will dock with the Tiangong-2 space lab and refuel it.

It will be a crucial step for China in building a space station by 2020, as cargo spacecraft are required to ship necessities for astronauts aboard the space station.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-01/17/c_135990374.htm

Congrats China
One more step forward to China's Space Station (CSS) in 2020.