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

[JSCh]

↑↑↑

https://twitter.com/x/status/1118903313968390144

Andrew Jones@AJ_FI

A CNSA announcement today makes clear that China has approved a very ambitious asteroid/comet mission. It will collect samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3 & deliver them to Earth then head to main belt comet 133P via Mars flyby. That profile calls for launch in 2022.

11:45 PM - Apr 18, 2019

​

 

[JSCh]

林晓弈
4月18日 15:23 来自 航爱网牌Android
【中国火星飞行器今年有望试飞】4月18日，在中国空间技术研究院主办的月球和深空探测国际学术研讨会上，中国工程院院士、哈尔滨工业大学教授邓宗全披露，我国火星飞行器已在研发之中，今年有望开展飞行试验。未来我国火星飞行器将与探测车空陆并举经略红色星球。火星飞行器可从探测车上起飞，执行环境探测、路径规划等任务。3月28日，美国国家航空航天局宣称其火星飞行器已完成地面测试，我国正在奋起直追。

林晓弈
April 18th 15:23
[Chinese Mars aircraft is expected to test fly this year]
On April 18, at the International Symposium on Lunar and Deep Space Exploration sponsored by the China Academy of Space Technology, Deng Zongquan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a professor at Harbin Institute of Technology, disclosed that China's Mars aircraft is under development and is expected to conduct flight tests this year. In the future, China's Mars aircraft will be exploring Mars together with the rover. The Mars aircraft can take off from rover and perform tasks such as environmental detection and path planning. On March 28, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that its Mars aircraft has completed ground testing, and China is trying to catch up.

​

 

[JSCh]

↑↑↑

https://twitter.com/x/status/1118903313968390144

Andrew Jones@AJ_FI

A CNSA announcement today makes clear that China has approved a very ambitious asteroid/comet mission. It will collect samples from near-Earth asteroid 2016 HO3 & deliver them to Earth then head to main belt comet 133P via Mars flyby. That profile calls for launch in 2022.

11:45 PM - Apr 18, 2019

​

NOTE:

NEA is Near earth asteroid, MBC is Main belt comet.
NEA target is 469219 Kamoʻoalewa - Wikipedia

469219 Kamoʻoalewa, provisional designation 2016 HO3, is a very small asteroid, fast rotator and near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 41 meters (135 feet) in diameter. It is currently the smallest, closest, and most stable (known) quasi-satellite of Earth. The asteroid was discovered by Pan-STARRS at Haleakala Observatory on 27 April 2016. It was named Kamoʻoalewa, a Hawaiian word that refers to an oscillating celestial object.[1]

MBC target is 7968 Elst–Pizarro - Wikipedia

Comet Elst–Pizarro is a body that displays characteristics of both asteroidsand comets,[10] and is the prototype of main-belt comets. Its orbit keeps it within the asteroid belt, yet it displayed a dust tail like a comet while near perihelion in 1996, 2001, and 2007.

haibaraemily
今天 11:00 来自 小米8青春版 潮流旗舰 已编辑
#2019中国航天日# 继续今天的会，黄江川大佬关于中国接下来小天体探测的规划和进展的报告：

图2：我国的小天体探测器有望于2025年前发射；

图3：综合考虑成本、成果以及赶超国际水平的愿望，我国的小行星探测任务总体策略是“多目标、多任务、多功能、多阶段”，说白了就是一次任务探测多个天体，完成尽量丰富的探测；

图4：第一次任务的目标是先去一颗近地小行星（NEA），完成遥感探测和原位分析，采集样本并返回地球，在飞掠地球的过程中把样本返回舱丢回来，剩下的小分队继续飞掠火星前往主带，再探测一颗主带彗星（MBC）；

图5：两个阶段有望完成的科学目标

图6：目前选定的两个探测目标：近地小行星2016HO3和主带彗星133P（这部分科学意义的解读可以参考@小龙哈勃 的推送O小龙哈勃），以及可能的科学仪器（注意，还不是最终版！）

图7：主要技术难度：1. 微重力 2. 在实际抵达之前对小行星的表面几乎一无所知；

图8：我国目前的一些试验和进展；

图9：总结和展望

​

 

[JSCh]

Quite impressive that China's Space budget has now reached $8 billion in just a few years.

I have some questions for Chinese members:

1. Does China have the equivalent of a NASA Deep Space Network? If no, how does CNSA expect to communicate with its Mars spacecraft.

2. Is Yutu 2 mission still ongoing or has it ended?

1. Does China have the equivalent of a NASA Deep Space Network? If no, how does CNSA expect to communicate with its Mars spacecraft.

Chinese Deep Space Network - Wikipedia

For the upcoming Mars exploration mission, China plan to upgrade Kashgar station to 3x35m antenna by 2020.

2. Is Yutu 2 mission still ongoing or has it ended?

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/chinas-change-4-probe-soft-lands-on-moons-far-side-xinhua.594810/

 

[JSCh]

From CNSA - China National Space Administration website,

​

Announcement of Opportunities for Scientific Payloads and Projects onboard Asteroid Exploration Mission

Annex1 Technical Specifications of Scientific Payloads for Asteroid Exploration Mission

Annex2 Formt for Technical Proposal for Scientific Payloads

Annex3 Format for Scheme Proposal for onboard Projects​

 

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1119600403090292737

Linkspace@Linkspace_China

April 19, 2019, LinkSpace reusable rocket NewLine Baby had successfully accomplished the second free flight and recycling test. The flight time is 30s, the flight height is 40m. In the second half of the year, we are planning to recycle the rocket at a height of 1km.
97
9:55 PM - Apr 20, 2019

 

[JSCh]

07:34, 21-Apr-2019
China's LinkSpace successfully launches reusable rocket to a new height
CGTN's Wu Lei

China's private rocket company LinkSpace successfully launched a reusable rocket in east China's Shandong Province on Friday. The RLV-T5 rocket flew to a height of 40 meters and then safely landed, in 30 seconds.

On March 27, the company finished its first low-altitude launch at a height of 20 meters.

Whenever the term "reusable rocket" is mentioned, people would at once link it to the U.S. giants like SpaceX and Blue Origin. Now, China's LinkSpace is hoping to make its presence felt in the market.

China's LinkSpace successfully launches reusable rocket prototype. /CGTN Photo

Founded in 2014, LinkSpace is engaged in the development of reusable rockets and liquid rocket engine technology. The RLV-T5 rocket was put into production in May 2018. The 8.1-meter high rocket has a take-off weight of 1.5 tons, and uses five liquid rocket engines in parallel to get off the ground.

Currently, LinkSpace's 20-member team has started the research and development of a sub-orbital reusable rocket named RLV-T6.

It is expected that the final assembly of the new rocket will be completed by the end of this year. The company's first small commercial rocket, NEWLINE-1, will target the microsatellite launch market and is scheduled to make its maiden flight around 2021.

(Cover: LinkSpace successfully launches reusable rocket RLV-T5, reaching a height of 40 meters in 30 seconds. /CGTN Photo)

 

[cirr]

China launches new BeiDou satellite

2019-04-21 09:08:25　Xinhua　Editor : Li Yan

China sent a new satellite of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) into space from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province at 10:41 p.m. Saturday.

Launched on a Long March-3B carrier rocket, it is the 44th satellite of the BDS satellite family and the first BDS-3 satellite in inclined geosynchronous Earth orbit.

After in-orbit tests, the satellite will work with 18 other BDS-3 satellites in intermediate circular orbit and one in geosynchronous Earth orbit.

Yang Changfeng, chief designer of the BeiDou system, said that the hybrid constellation design, in which three groups of satellites at different orbital regimes work in concert, was an exclusive BDS innovation and the world's first.

It will increase the number of visible satellites in the Asian-Pacific Region, providing better service for the region, Yang said.

The launch was the 302nd flight mission for the Long March series of carrier rockets, and the 100th for the Long March-3B.

So far, a total of four BeiDou test satellites and 44 BDS satellites have been sent to preset orbits via 36 flight missions launched by Long March-3A and Long March-3B carrier rockets.

The launch on Saturday also marked the first launch of the BDS in 2019. This year, about 8-10 BDS satellites are scheduled to be launched, wrapping up launch missions of all BDS-3 satellites in medium Earth orbit.

China began to construct its navigation system, named after the Chinese term for the Big Dipper constellation, in the 1990s and started serving the Asia-Pacific Region in 2012.

According to Yang, the positioning accuracy of the system has reached 10 meters globally and five meters in the Asia-Pacific Region after the system started to provide global service at the end of last year.

The BDS-3 system is to be completed in 2020. China is also planning to finish building a high precision national comprehensive positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) system on the basis of the BDS by 2035.

Yang noted that China is willing to share the achievements of the BDS with other countries.

The BDS has been widely used around the world, like building construction in Kuwait, precision agriculture in Myanmar, land survey and mapping in Uganda and warehousing and logistics in Thailand.

The BDS will serve the world and benefit all mankind with more powerful function and better performance, said Yang.

http://www.ecns.cn/news/sci-tech/2019-04-21/detail-ifzhpeef7884881.shtml

 

[JSCh]

China's Long March-3A rocket series completes its 100th launch
Updated 09:31, 21-Apr-2019
CGTN

With a Long March-3B rocket putting a Beidou-3 IGSO satellite into orbit on Saturday, China's Long March-3A series completed its 100th launch, becoming the first of its kind in the country.

The rocket blasted off at 22:41 at the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Xichang, southwest China's Sichuan Province.

This milestone comes after the Long March carrier rocket series completed its 300th launch on March 10.

Meet the Ace team of China's carrier rocket family

The "Ace team," comprising the Long March-3A, 3B, and 3C, have been the launch vehicles for almost every Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) over the years, setting a record for the shortest time interval of 16 days between two launches.

Infographic by Jie Qiong

Infographic by Jie Qiong

Infographic by Jie Qiong​

The three-staged Long March-3A is a cryogenic liquid rocket with a redesigned third-stage, serving as the basis of Long March-3B, and 3C.

Since its maiden launch on February 8, 1994, the Long March-3A has completed over 70 missions, with a 98-percent success rate

The 3B and 3C rockets were developed to meet the growing demands for heavy-lift launch missions by the global market.

According to Long Yuehao, senior consultant of Long March carrier rocket family in China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the eco-propellent applied on the Long March 3A series' third stage made it able to stand out among its competitors.

Compared to the common N2O4 and UDMH liquid propellant applied on some of the carrier rockets, the propellent fueled by liquid hydrogen and oxygen gives the 3A series the edge of the stronger specific thrust, which means more thrust can be generated per unit of time.

From 0 to 100

It took 18 years for the Long March 3A series to complete the 50th launch, and only about seven years to accomplish the 100th, with a success rate up from 96 to 98 percent.

Infographic by Yin Yating​

The annual manufacturing capability of the 3A series has been raised from around three to nine. The time interval between two launches has been shortened from 60 days to 21 days. What's more, the team responsible for the mission has halved from 300 to 150 people thanks to the mature production line and proficient operational flow.

(Top image by Shi Xiao from China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation)

 

[JSCh]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1120110035684618240

 

[JSCh]

China航天
26分钟前
#2019中国航天日# 【“天行Ⅰ-1”首次水平回收技术验证火箭试飞成功】2019年4月23日上午7时28分，凌空天行 “天行Ⅰ-1”火箭完成首次飞行试验，圆满完成试验载荷任务！“天行Ⅰ-1”火箭是凌空天行公司研制的通用化、可重复使用的火箭运载平台。本次飞行为厦门大学航空航天学院与凌空天行公司基于“天行I-1”共同研制的“嘉庚一号”试验运载火箭。火箭总长8.7m，翼展2.5m，起飞质量3700kg，全程亚轨道飞行，最大飞行速度超过4300km/h。“嘉庚一号”主载荷为厦门大学XTER双乘波体飞行器，同时搭载了西安电子科技大学空间技术学院研制的舱内无线通信系统和临近空间高能粒子探测系统。本次飞行试验成功获取了真实飞行过程中的各项试验数据，圆满完成了客户试验需求。同时也验证了包括地面无线测发控、低成本电气系统等在内的多项关键技术，为后续火箭重复使用技术的研究奠定了坚实的基础。(凌空天行) LChina航天的秒拍视频

China航天
30 min ago

At 7:28 am on April 23, 2019, Space Transportation Co. completed the first flight test of the "Tianxing I-1" rocket and successfully completed the test load mission! The "Tianxing I-1" rocket is a general-purpose, reusable rocket carrier platform developed by Space Transportation Co. This flight is the "Jia Geng No. 1" experimental launch vehicle jointly developed by Xiamen University Aerospace Academy and Space Transportation Co. based on "Tianxing I-1". The total length of the rocket is 8.7m, the wingspan is 2.5m, the take-off mass is 3700kg, and the whole sub-orbital flight is carried out. The maximum flight speed exceeds 4300km/h. The main load of "Jia Geng No.1" is the XTER(Xiamen Turbine Ejector-Ramjet Combined Cycle) double wave-rider aircraft of Xiamen University. It is also equipped with in-cabin wireless communication system and near-space high-energy particle detection system developed by Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology. This flight test successfully obtained the test data of the real flight process and successfully completed the customer test requirements. At the same time, it also verified a number of key technologies including ground wireless measurement and control, low-cost electrical systems, etc., which laid a solid foundation for the subsequent research on rocket re-use technology.

Video link of the test flight launch -> China航天的秒拍视频

​

https://twitter.com/x/status/1120538875527671809

 

[JSCh]

小米手机
今天 16:13 来自 小米9
还记得吗？4月1日“爱信不信”发布会，我们说带你的心愿去太空，那可不是愚人节玩笑！
今天，小米联合凌空天行成功发射了水平回收技术验证火箭"天行I-1"，并带上50位米粉的心愿卡片一起去宇宙兜风，成功实现了“小米带你去太空”的承诺！

仰望星空，更要脚踏实地，探索不止，和小米一起继续前行吧！

Xiaomi Corp.
Today 16:13 from Xiaomi 9

Do you remember? On April 1st, at the "Believe it or not" press conference, we said we would take your wishes to space, it is not a April Fool's Day joke!

Today, Xiaomi and the Space Transportation Co. successfully launched the horizontal recovery technology verification rocket "Tianxing I-1", and took the wish card of 50 Xiaomi fans to go for a ride into space, successfully delivered on the promise of "Xiaomi takes you to space"!

Wishing on the stars, you also have to be down-to-earth, to continue exploring, let's move forward together with Xiaomi !

​

 

[JSCh]

厦门大学 - 问鼎九天，我们也可以 ——我校航空航天学院成功发射“嘉庚一号”带翼回收火箭

2019年4月23日凌晨2时，经过18个小时的长途转场和短暂调整，我校航空航天学院科研团队正式出征我国西北部沙漠无人区特种飞行试验发射阵地。上午7时28分，由厦门大学航空航天学院和北京凌空天行科技有限责任公司共同研制的“嘉庚一号”火箭点火升空。火箭全程在大气层内飞行，最大飞行高度26.2km，在指定着陆点成功回收。我校校长助理张建霖代表厦门大学宣布“嘉庚一号”飞行试验圆满成功。

“嘉庚一号”是厦门大学“双一流”重大项目支持的一款新型带翼可回收重复使用火箭，火箭总长8.7m，翼展2.5m，起飞质量3700kg。此次联合飞行试验主要目的是验证一种由厦门大学航空航天学院提出的双乘波前体布局空气动力学性能。此次飞行，火箭将双乘波布局运送到指定高度和速度，完全复现真实的飞行条件并开展空气动力学测试，然后以“带翼水平滑翔+伞降回收”的方式进行整体回收。火箭的整体回收，同步验证了包括地面无线测发控、伞降回收系统、低成本电气系统等在内的多项关键技术，迈出了我国可重复使用火箭技术发展的重要一步。

本次研制工作时间紧、任务重，从“双一流”校级重大项目立项到成功发射历时仅七个月。航空航天学院与北京凌空天行科技有限责任公司携手联合，成立了重大项目工作团队，精心组织航空、机械、仪器、电气、控制等各学科优秀青年教师协同开展快速迭代论证，选派硕、博士研究生长驻设计场所、生产车间、总装厂房和发射阵地，以史无前例的速度和效率完成了一款新型火箭的研制和发射任务。“嘉庚一号”成功飞行，一是收获了创新，学院有效积累了组织大科学研究的经验；二是锤炼了队伍，团队切实拓展了奋进大工程项目的能力；三是强化了意识，师生们热烈激发了矢志“空天报国”的情怀。

年仅“4岁”的厦大航空航天学院有着“雄心壮志”。学院始终瞄准国家战略需求和国际学术前沿，谋划关乎未来航空航天技术跨越式发展的前瞻性工程技术研究。2017年6月，学院推动将“民机涡轮基组合动力系统”列为工学部材料与智能制造学科群牵引性发展方向。该研究的目标是助力国家航空发动机技术的发展，提升民航飞机速度到现有速度的五倍以上，实现两小时内的全球直达，彻底改变世界航空格局和人类交通文明。本次“嘉庚一号”成功飞行并演示验证双乘波布局的气动性能，是该项目达成的一个重要里程碑节点，对推动我校工学部“双一流”项目建设具有重要意义，也为航空航天学院今后承担更加重大的工程技术项目奠定了坚实基础。

“嘉庚一号”带翼火箭飞行试验还同时搭载了西安电子科技大学空间科学与技术学院研制的8台新技术验证载荷和2台科学实验载荷，开展了相关科学试验研究。

（航空航天学院）

Xiamen University - Reach for space, we can do it -- our school aerospace academy successfully launched "Jia Geng No. 1" winged recoverable rocket

At 2 o'clock on the morning of April 23, 2019, after 18 hours of long-distance transit and short-term rest, the research team of the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of our school officially went to the special flight test launching area in the unmanned desert of northwestern China. At 7:28 in the morning, the "Jia Geng No. 1" rocket jointly developed by Xiamen University Aerospace Academy and Beijing Space Transportaion Technology Co., Ltd. was ignited. The rocket flies through the atmosphere with a maximum flight altitude of 26.2km and is successfully recovered at the designated landing site. On behalf of Xiamen University, Zhang Jianlin, assistant to the principal of our school, announced the successful completion of the “Jia Geng No. 1” flight test.

“Jia Geng No.1” is a new type of winged recoverable rocket supported by Xiamen University’s “Double First Class” major project. The total length of the rocket is 8.7m, the wingspan is 2.5m, and the takeoff mass is 3700kg. The main purpose of this joint flight test is to verify the aerodynamic performance of the front-body double wave-rider layout proposed by the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics of Xiamen University. In this flight, the rocket transports the double wave-rider layout to the specified altitude and speed, fully reproduces the real flight conditions and performed aerodynamic tests, and then fully recovers as a whole with "winged horizontal gliding + parachute recovery". The full recovery of the rocket, had simultaneously verified a number of key technologies including ground wireless TT&C(telemetry, tracking, and command), parachute recovery system, low-cost electrical systems, etc., has taken an important step in the development of China's reusable rocket technology.

...

.. In June 2017, the college promoted the “civil turbine-based combined cycle power system” as the lead development direction of the materials and intelligent manufacturing disciplines of the Faculty of Engineering. The goal of the research is to help the development of national aero-engine technology, increase the speed of civil aviation aircraft to more than five times the current speed, achieve global direct access within two hours, and completely change the world aviation structure and human transportation civilization. The successful flight of "Jia Geng No.1" and demonstration of the aerodynamic performance of the double wave-rider layout is an important milestone for the project. It is of great significance to promote the “Double-Class” project of the School of Engineering of our school, and also lays a solid foundation for the Aerospace Academy to undertake more important engineering and technical projects in the future.

The "Jia Geng-1" winged rocket flight test also carried 8 new technology verification loads and 2 scientific experimental loads developed by the School of Space Science and Technology of Xidian University, and has conducted related scientific experiments.

(Aerospace Academy)

 

[JSCh]

↑↑↑
Chinese university launches reusable rocket
Source: Xinhua| 2019-04-23 22:07:16|Editor: Li Xia

XIAMEN, April 23 (Xinhua) -- China's Xiamen University launched and recovered its first rocket Tuesday, in northwest China's desert.

The Jiageng-I rocket, jointly developed by Xiamen University and Beijing-based company Space Transportation, has a total length of 8.7 meters, a wingspan of 2.5 meters and a take-off mass of 3,700 kg.

The reusable rocket traveled at a maximum altitude of 26.2 km and was recovered at the designated landing site.

The joint flight was to test the performance of the dual waverider forebody configuration designed by the university's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and to verify the rocket recovery and reuse technology.

The dual waverider forebody configuration, an aerodynamic system for hypersonic airplanes, is installed at the nosecone of the rocket to test its performance in real flight conditions.

The test was part of the university's project to try to quintuple the current speed of civil aircraft to achieve global direct access within two hours.

The flight is "an important milestone towards the ultimate goal of the project," said the university's official WeChat account.

Located in east China's Fujian Province, Xiamen University is one of the earliest Chinese universities to conduct aviation studies.

Space Transportation Co. is a launcher manufacturer aiming to develop reusable rockets for small payloads and provide low-cost and reliable space transportation services for its clients.

 

[JSCh]

Testing complete on core module of new space station
By Liu Yang Source:Global Times Published: 2019/4/23 21:28:40

Taikonauts Jing Haipeng (R) and Chen Dong have a training in the space lab Tiangong-2 on Aug. 28, 2015. (Xinhua/Huang Siyu)

China's manned space program has taken another step forward after authorities revealed on Tuesday that the Tianhe, the core module of the country's upcoming space station, has completed testing, including a vacuum heat test and will soon advance to the flight modeling stage, a day before the country's fourth aerospace day.

China's new space station, codenamed Tiangong, is designed to be in service for 10 years, which could be extended through repair and renovation works according to specific needs. Its designed capacity is for three astronauts, and it can accommodate up to six for short periods during personnel rotation, providing a long-term orbiting space lab for China.

The Tiangong will consist of the core module Tianhe, the Wentian lab capsule I and the Mentian lab capsule II, each weighing 20 tons.

According to a video clip played at the event to mark aerospace day, the Wentian and Mengtian prototype capsules are now being assembled.

The video also shows that the Long March-5B carrier rocket will blast off on its maiden flight in the first half of the 2020.

Primary selection for the third group of astronauts is over, and the spacesuit for spacewalks is also in production, shows the video.

So far, China has sent 12 spaceships into space as well as two space labs, the Tiangong-1 and Tiangong 2.

China is scheduled to complete construction of the space station around 2022. In June, the China Manned Space Engineering Office will work with the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs to complete the application for China's space station and to launch a number of cooperation projects, the Xinhua News Agency reported in March.