China Space Military：Recon, Satcom, Navi, ASAT/BMD, Orbital Vehicle, SLV, etc.

[cirr]

CZ-7：

长征七号合练箭紧张测试_中国航天科技集团公司

 

[Beast]

CZ-7：

View attachment 161065

长征七号合练箭紧张测试_中国航天科技集团公司

Hope it will make it for first firing before end of this year.

 

[Keel]

CZ-7：

View attachment 161065

长征七号合练箭紧张测试_中国航天科技集团公司

Payload LEO 13.5T?
Long March (rocket family) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

or more

" With payloads in the range of 10-20 tons cited, it is likely to use two YF-100 first-stage engines at the 1st core stage, and one YF-100 engine for each of its 4 liquid rocket boosters."

Long March 7 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[onebyone]

China Good work

 

[cirr]

Hope it will make it for first firing before end of this year.

Not likely。

I would be happy if it gets transferred to the Wenchang launch site before the year runs out。

CZ-6 is scheduled for launch before CZ-7，followed by CZ-5。

CBERS-4 successfully launched at 11.26am on 07.12.2014：

长征四号乙11时26分托举中巴资源一号04星升空_国内_解放网

200th Long March rocket launches CBERS-4 for Brazil

December 6, 2014 by Rui C. Barbosa

The fifth cooperative mission between China and Brazil was launched at 03:26UTC on Sunday. In what was a milestone 200th launch for the Chinese rocket fleet, the CBERS-4 satellite was lofted by China’s Long March-4B from the LC9 launch complex at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

CBERS Program:

CBERS (China-Brazil Earth Resources Satellite) is a cooperative program of China and Brazil.

In November 2002, the governments of China and Brazil decided to expand the initial agreement by including another two satellites – CBERS-3, lost in a launch mishap in December 2013, and CBERS-4 – as the second generation of the Sino-Brazilian cooperation effort.

The planned cooperative program of CAST and INPE employs enhanced versions of spacecraft and instruments. The specifications of the project were agreed upon and completed in July 2004.

In China, the CBERS satellites are referred to as Ziyuan-1 (“Resource-1″). The agreement for the development of first generation satellites was signed in July 1988 to establish a complete remote sensing system (space and ground segment) to supply both countries with multi-spectral remotely sensed imagery.

The overall objective is the observation and monitoring of the Earth’s resources and environment with a multi-sensor imaging payload providing different spatial resolutions.

The CBERS-1 ‘Ziyuan-1A’ (25940 1999-057A) spacecraft was launch at 0316UTC on October 14, 1999 by the Long March (Y1) launch vehicle from Taiyuan’s LC7 Launch Complex. CBERS-1 operated until August 2003.

CBERS-2 ‘Ziyuan-1B’ (28057 2003-049A) was launched at 0316UTC on October 21, 2003 by the Long March (Y4) also from Taiyuan’s LC7 launch complex. The spacecraft was retired in late 2007 when imagery from CBERS-2B was available.

CBERS-2B ‘Ziyua-1B2′ was launch at 0326UTC on September 19, 2007 by the Long March (Y17) launch vehicle from the Taiyuan’s LC7 launch complex. CBERS-2B was retired on May 10, 2010 due to a power failure.

CBERS-3 was launched on December 9, 2013, by the Long March (Y10) from Taiyuan’s LC9 launch complex.

In 2004, Brazil changed its CBERS data distribution and access policies.

With CBERS-2, Brazil adopted an open data distribution policy, ensuring free access through the internet to its catalogue and to full resolution images. Any user can browse the catalogue, choose as many images as he wants, and download them for immediate use, with no cost, bureaucracy and working on a simple and fast catalogue system.

The same policy was adopted for CBERS-2B and will also be adopted for the new satellite. The policy was also extended to neighboring countries under the footprint of the Cuiaba-Brazil ground station and archived at INPE’s catalog.

CBERS-4:

CBERS-4 – with a mass of 1,980 kg – will operate on a sun-synchronous orbit at 778 km altitude with an inclination of 98.504 deg and 100.26 minutes orbital period. This orbit has a repeat cycle of 26 days.

The launch of CBERS-4 was originally schedule for December 2015. However, due to the loss of CBERS-3, China and Brazil agreed to anticipate the launch one year.

The spacecraft consists of a hexahedron shaped structure divided in service and payload modules. In the orbital configuration, the Z axis is pointed to the Earth’s surface. The cameras and antennas are mounted on the +Z side panel. The solar panel is mounted on the -Y side panel and rotates around the Y axis.

The antennas, thrusters and attitude sensors, such as sun sensors, infrared Earth sensors, are mounted on other panels.

The spacecraft is 3-axis stabilized keeping the imager pointed toward nadir. The AOCS (Attitude and Orbit Control Subsystem) includes star sensors, sun sensors, infrared Earth sensors, gyros, GPS receiver, a control computer, momentum wheels and a hydrazine propulsion system.

Thermal control is achieved mainly by passive means using thermal coating and multi-layer insulation blankets. Heat pipes and heaters are also used. The EPS (Electrical Power Subsystem) uses triple-junction GaAs solar panels, a shunt regulator, battery charge control, a battery discharge regulator, DC/DC converters and NiCd (Nickel Cadmium) batteries. The EPS can provide 2.30 kW to the spacecraft.

The nominal payload capability of the platform is 1,000 kg; the mass of the entire spacecraft is 1,980 kg. In its launch configuration, the dimensions are: 2.5 x 2.0 x 1.8 m. Solar panel dimensions are 6.3 x 2.6 m.

The OBDH (On-Board Data Handling) subsystem consists of a main computer and 7 remote terminal units to provide onboard data handling and the spacecraft monitoring and control functions. The S-band is used for the TT&C functions providing two-way communications with the ground. The S-band antenna offers a near omni-directional coverage.

The payload image data are downlinked in X-band by two TWTA transmitters. One of them has three carriers modulated in QPSK (Quadra-Phase Shift Keying): The on-board recorder has a capacity of 274 Gbit, capable to record data from all cameras.

CBERS-4 carries four cameras in the payload module, with improved geometrical and radiometric performance (MUXCam, PanMUX, IRS and WFI).

MUXCam is an INPE instrument designed and developed at Opto Eletrônica S. A., of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. The objective is to provide imagery for cartographic applications. MUXCam is a multispectral camera with four spectral bands covering the wavelength range from blue to near infrared (from 450 nm to 890 nm) with a ground resolution of 20 m and a ground swath width of 120 km.

The MUXCam instrument consists of three equipments: RBNA, RBNB and RBNC. The RBNA provides image acquisition and is composed of the optical system (entrance mirror and lens assembly), optical housing and the focal plane assembly.

The RBNB consists of the electronics responsible for the thermal control, the focus adjustment and the internal calibration system control. The RBNC subsystem is responsible for generating the CCD reading clocks, processing the CCD analog outputs to digital signal, and of data encoding into a serial data stream. This data is transmitted to the satellite.

The CCD detector is a 4-line array, each line has 6000 pixels of size: 13 µm x 13 µm. Spectral thin films, deposited over a window that covers the photosensitive elements of the CCD, are responsible for the separation of the four spectral bands.

Provided by China, the PanMUX (Panchromatic and Multispectral Camera) is a CCD pushbroom camera that provides panchromatic images with 5m GSD (Ground Sample Distance) and three band multispectral images with 10 m GSD.

The camera has a swath width of 60 km and a side-viewing capability of ±32º. The PanMUX has focal plane adjustment and on-orbit calibration capabilities.

Also provided by China and developed on the heritage of the Infrared Multispectral Scanner used on previous missions, the IRS (Infrared System) or IRMSS-2 (Infrared Multispectral Scanner-2) is an imager with 4 spectral bands. The spatial resolution is halved with regard to IRMSS.

The WFI (Wide-Field Imager) (also referred to as WFI-2) is an advanced version of the instrument of INPE flown on CBERS-1, and CBERS-2, featuring 4 spectral bands with a ground resolution of 64 m at nadir and a ground swath of 866 km.

The WFI instrument on CBERS-4 provides also an improved spatial resolution in comparison with the previous WFI sensors on board of the CBERS-1 and CBERS-2 satellites (260 m on previous missions), maintaining, however, its high temporal resolution of 5 days.

This camera will be used for remote sensing of the Earth and it is aimed to work at an altitude of 778 km. The optical system is designed for four spectral bands covering the range of wavelengths from blue to near infrared and its FOV (Field of View) is ±28.63º, which covers 866 km, with a ground resolution of 64 m at nadir.

WFI has been developed through a consortium formed by Opto Electrônica S. A. and Equatorial Sistemas. The optical system development and the performance analyses (including optical system MTF, distortion, polarization sensitivity and stray-light) was executed using ZEMAX software.

Beside the cameras, CBERS-4 will have the DCS (Data Collection System) and the SEM (Space Environment Monitor). The DCS is provided by INPE and the SEM is provided by CAST (Chinese Academy of Space Technology).

Launch vehicle and launch site:

The feasibility study of the Chang Zheng-4 began in 1982 based on the FB-1 Feng Bao-1 launch vehicle. Engineering development was initiated in the following year. Initially, the Chang Zheng-4 served as a back-up launch vehicle for Chang Zheng-3 to launch China’s communications satellites.

After the successful launch of China’s first DFH-2 communications satellites by Chang Zheng-3, the main mission of the Chang Zheng-4 was shifted to launch sun-synchronous orbit meteorological satellites. On other hand, the Chang Zheng-4B launch vehicle was first introduced in May 1999 and also developed by the Shanghai Academy of Space Flight Technology (SAST), based on the Chang Zheng-4.

The rocket is capable of launching a 2,800 kg satellite into low Earth orbit, developing 2,971 kN at launch. With a mass of 248,470 kg, the CZ-4B is 45.58 meters long and has a diameter of 3.35 meters.

SAST began to develop the Chang Zheng-4B in February 1989. Originally, it was scheduled to be commissioned in 1997, but the first launch didn’t take place until late 1999. The modifications introduced on the Chang Zheng-4B included a larger satellite fairing and the replacement of the original mechanical-electrical control on the Chang Zheng-4 with an electronic control.

Other modifications were an improved telemetry, tracking, control, and self-destruction systems with smaller size and lighter weight; a revised nuzzle design in the second stage for better high-altitude performance; a propellant management system for the second stage to reduce the spare propellant amount, thus increasing the vehicle’s payload capability and a propellant jettison system on the third-stage.

The first stage has a 24.65 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter, consuming 183,340 kg of N2O4/UDMH (gross mass of first stage is 193.330 kg). The vehicle is equipped with a YF-21B engine capable of a ground thrust of 2,971 kN and a ground specific impulse of 2,550 Ns/kg. The second stage has a 10.40 meter length with a 3.35 meter diameter and 38,326 kg, consuming 35,374 kg of N2O4/UDMH.

The vehicle is equipped with a YF-22B main engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 742 kN and four YF-23B vernier engines with a vacuum thrust of 47.1 kN (specific impulses of 2,922 Ns/kg and 2,834 Ns/kg, respectively).

The third stage has a 4.93 meter length with a 2.9 meter diameter, consuming 12,814 kg of N2O4/UDMH. Having a gross mass of 14,560 kg, it is equipped with a YF-40 engine capable of a vacuum thrust of 100.8 kN and a specific impulse in vacuum of 2,971 Ns/kg.

This was the 213th orbital launch by China, also being the 201st successful Chinese orbital launch, the 50th successful launch from Taiyuan, the 13th orbital launch by China in 2013 and the 5th from Taiyuan. Notably, it was the 200th Long March launch.

Situated in the Kelan County in the northwest part of the Shanxi Province, the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center (TSLC) is also known by the Wuzhai designation. It is used mainly for polar launches (meteorological, Earth resources and scientific satellites).

The launch center has two single-pad launch complexes, a technical area for rocket and spacecraft preparations, a communications centre, a mission command and control centre, and a space tracking centre.

The stages of the rocket were transported to the launch centre by railway, and offloaded at a transit station south of the launch complex. They were then transported by road to the technical area for checkout procedures.

The launch vehicles were assembled on the launch pad by using a crane at the top of the umbilical tower to hoist each stage of the vehicle in place. Satellites were airlifted to the Taiyuan Wusu Airport about 300km away, and then transported to the centre by road.

The TT&C Centre, also known as Lüliang Command Post, is headquartered in the city of Taiyuan, It has four subordinate radar tracking stations in Yangqu (Shanxi), Lishi (Shanxi), Yulin (Shaanxi), and Hancheng (Shaanxi).

 

[JSCh]

China launches CBERS-4 satellite on Long March rockets' 200th mission
2014-12-07 13:39 Xinhua Web Editor: Si Huan

China launched the CBERS-4 satellite, jointly developed with Brazil, on Sunday from the Taiyuan base by Long March-4B rocket, the 200th flight for the Long March rocket family.

The rocket blasted off at 11:26 a.m. and lifted the earth resource satellite into its scheduled orbit, according to the Taiyuan satellite launch center in north China's Shanxi province.

CBERS-4 is one of the satellites of the Chinese-Brazilian Earth Resource Satellite (CBERS) program which began in 1988. Such satellites are used in the monitoring, planning and management of land, forestry, water conservancy, environmental protection and agriculture.

Sunday's mission was the 200th flight for the Long March since April 24, 1970 when a Long March-1 carried China's first satellite, Dongfanghong-1, into space.

2014年12月7日11时26分，中国在太原卫星发射中心用长征四号乙运载火箭，成功将中巴地球资源卫星04星发射升空，卫星顺利进入预定轨道。 张素 摄

 

[bobsm]

China produces first space-based 3D printing machine - Xinhua | English.news.cn

China produces first space-based 3D printing machine
English.news.cn 2014-12-08 13:15:50

SHANGHAI, Dec. 8 (Xinhua) -- Scientists have produced a 3D printing machine, the first of its kind in China, which astronauts will be able to use while on space missions, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC) on Monday.

The machine is capable of printing optical lens brackets used in spaceborne equipment, complicated components used in nuclear power testing equipment, impellers used in aircraft research and special-shaped gears used in automobile engines, said Wang Lianfeng, a senior engineer with CASTC Shanghai's research arm.

The machine, which uses both long-wave fiber and short-wave carbon dioxide lasers, can produce items smaller than 250 millimeters.

The machine, which looks like a gray cabinet, can fashion items out of stainless steel, titanium alloy and nickel-based superalloy.

"The products made will have to be tested thoroughly, due to the strict quality requirements of aerospace products," said Wang, adding that the prospect for 3D printing is promising.

Additive manufacturing, which 3D printing is also known as, is the processes in which three-dimensional objects are made through the layering of material. It is advancing rapidly and is increasingly used for industrial purposes.

 

[cirr]

CZ-5：

 

[Beast]

I hope CZ-5 initial launch do not slip into 2016. Late 2015 will better.

 

[JSCh]

China launches CBERS-4 satellite on Long March rockets' 200th mission
2014-12-07 13:39 Xinhua Web Editor: Si Huan

China launched the CBERS-4 satellite, jointly developed with Brazil, on Sunday from the Taiyuan base by Long March-4B rocket, the 200th flight for the Long March rocket family.

INPE apresenta primeiras imagens do CBERS-4
Segunda-feira, 08 de Dezembro de 2014

As primeiras imagens da câmera multiespectral brasileira MUX, a bordo do satélite CBERS-4, foram obtidas nesta segunda-feira (8) pelos técnicos do Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais (INPE). As imagens foram tomadas sobre a região de Armação de Búzios (RJ).

A MUX é a primeira câmera para satélite inteiramente desenvolvida e produzida no Brasil. Com 20 metros de resolução e multiespectral, registra imagens no azul, verde, vermelho e infravermelho, em faixas distintas, para uso em diferentes aplicações, principalmente no controle de recursos hídricos e florestais.

Google translate:

INPE exhibits first CBERS-4 images
Monday, December 8, 2014

The first images of the Brazilian MUX multispectral camera aboard the satellite CBERS-4, were obtained on Monday (8) by the technicians of the National Institute for Space Research (INPE). The images were taken on the Buzios region (RJ).

MUX is the first camera to satellite entirely developed and produced in Brazil. 20 meter resolution multispectral and, records images in blue, green, red and infrared, in different groups, for use in different applications, especially in the control of water and forest resources.

More here -> INPE - Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas Espaciais

 

[cirr]

China launches another remote sensing satellite

English.news.cn 2014-12-11 04:34:35

JIUQUAN, Gansu, Dec. 11 (Xinhua) -- China sent the Yaogan-25 remote sensing satellite into a scheduled orbit at 3:33 a.m. on Thursday from the Jiuquan satellite launch center.

The Yaogan-25 was carried by a Long March-4C rocket. It was the 201st mission for the Long March rocket technology.

Yaogan satellites are mainly used for scientific experiments, natural resource surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief.

China launched the first satellite in the "Yaogan" series, Yaogan-1, in 2006.

 

[JSCh]

China successfully launched the Yaogan-25 – consisting of three satellites – from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center with CZ-4C rocket this morning at 3:33am..

12月11日，搭載遙感衛星二十五號的運載火箭在酒泉衛星發射中心點火發射。當日3時33分，我國在酒泉衛星發射中心用長徵四號丙運載火箭成功將遙感衛星 二十五號發射升空，衛星順利進入預定軌道。遙感衛星二十五號主要用于科學實驗、國土資源普查、農作物估産及防災減災等領域。遙感衛星二十五號和執行本次發 射任務的長徵四號丙運載火箭，均由航天科技集團公司負責研制。這是長徵係列運載火箭的第201次飛行。新華社記者 燕雁 攝

 

[cirr]

China sent the Yaogan-26 remote sensing satellite into a scheduled orbit at 11:22 a.m. on Saturday 27.12.2014 from the Taiyuan satellite launch center。The Yaogan-26 was carried by a Long March-4B rocket. It was the 202nd mission for the Long March rocket。

One more launch to go before the year draws to a perfect close：

Date：31.12.2014
Launch site：Xichang
Launch vehicle：Long March 3A
Satellite：Fengyun-2-08

 

[JSCh]

Chinese Long March 4B launches Yaogan Weixing-26 | NASASpaceFlight.com
December 26, 2014 by Rui C. Barbosa

The Chinese launched another satellite on the Yaogan Weixing series on Saturday. Launch of Yaogan Weixing-26 took place at 03:22 UTC using a Long March-4B launch vehicle from the LC9 launch complex at the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center.

As is usual for the Chinese media, this spacecraft is once again classed as a new remote sensing bird that will be used for scientific experiments, land survey, crop yield assessment, and disaster monitoring.

12月27日，搭載遙感衛 星二十六號的運載火箭在太原衛星發射中心點火發射。當日11時22分，我國在太原衛星發射中心用長徵四號乙運載火箭，成功將遙感衛星二十六號送入太空。遙 感衛星二十六號主要用于科學試驗、國土資源普查、農作物估産及防災減災等領域。遙感衛星二十六號和執行此次發射任務的長徵四號乙運載火箭由中國航天科技集 團公司負責研制。這是長徵係列運載火箭的第202次飛行。新華社記者 燕雁 攝

 

[cirr]

An important piece of equipment for developing HGVs：

Thermal-vacuum Test Facilities at the 5th Academy of CASTC providing thermal-vacuum chamber test operations for HGVs

我国高超音速飞行器真空热试验技术获突破_新闻_腾讯网