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

[cirr]

China is all set to launch 13 Beidou navigation satellites in 2015，with the 1st 3 scheduled for launch within weeks。

 

[TaiShang]

"China's navigation satellite industry will be worth over 400 billion yuan by 2020."

It has comprehensive application field, especially in transpotation and security.

And logistics.

 

[Beidou2020]

Time to ban GPS from the Chinese market so Beidou can replace it.

Time to kick out every American brand/technology that China has its own domestic alternative in.

All these liberal yahoos in China are the reason China still tolerates American thuggery.

 

[TaiShang]

Time to ban GPS from the Chinese market so Beidou can replace it.

Time to kick out every American brand/technology that China has its own domestic alternative in.

All these liberal yahoos in China are the reason China still tolerates American thuggery.

This is an ongoing trend and natural result of the rise of homegrown brands. Besides, global positioning is a matter of national security.

 

[SenLin]

Well, i think it will be more successful than its Russian counterpart, who could do mostly nothing against GPS omnipresence.

 

[TaiShang]

Russia, China to install GLONASS/Beidou on trucks
June 6, 2015 RIA Novosti

Glonass. Source: Press photo

Russia and China will start equipping trucks transporting goods across the Sino-Russian border with the GLONASS/Beidou navigation systems, GLONASS's Director of International Non-Commercial Partnership Projects Alexander Bondarenko said.

According to Bondarenko, transportation companies will be offered a series of services, primarily in the fields of security, navigation and information.

“Users will have identical services both in China and in Russia,” Bondarenko said “A truck driver will be able to call technical support, receive assistance on the road, find the closest gas station and obtain other services included in the satellite navigation.” He added that truck drivers would not have different devices, and instead would be using the same apparatus.

GLONASS is Russia’s state-owned navigation services provider. Currently, it collaborates with many Chinese partners.

The Russian Federal Space Agency and the Chinese Chancellery for Satellite Navigation have a working group for issues dealing with the joint application of satellite navigation technologies.


- Russia, China to install GLONASS/Beidou on trucks | Russia Beyond The Headlines)

 

[JSCh]

Russia, China plan to develop joint transport navigation platform — RT News
Published time: June 05, 2015 14:29
RIA Novosti/Valeriy Melnikov

Russia and China plan to develop a joint transport navigation platform that bundles the advantages of Russia’s GLONASS and China’s BeiDou navigation satellite systems. The platform will be developed for commercial trucks this year.

“We’re planning to realize a project to provide navigation services to commercial transport operators moving from China to Russia and vice-versa,” the head of GLONASS’ international projects, Aleksandr Bondarenko, said Friday.

Navigation and communication equipment connected to the platform will be identical and the only difference is going to be the language of the interface of the platform.

A preliminary deal to create the platform has been reached between GLONASS and China North Industries Corporation (Norinco), maintaining technical implementation of China’s national navigation system BeiDou.

Norinco has expressed interest in equipping its commercial truck delivering goods to Russia with the proposed GLONASS/BeiDou navigation receivers.

The navigation, information and security services provided in Russia and China are going to be the same, Bondarenko said. A driver will be able to request technical support, to get help on the road, find the nearest petrol station and get satellite navigation services.

“All these functions will be bundled in a single device,” Bondarenko said.

The forward schedule of the project will be announced in July, Bondarenko said, stressing that the GLONASS federal navigation operator is set to start providing these services by the end of 2015.

China is planning to launch 13 new BeiDou navigation satellites to establish an orbit group capable of providing navigation services worldwide. Three new satellites will be launched into space within the coming weeks.

At the moment BeiDou has about 20 satellites that ensure positioning to an accuracy of 10 meters, which is set to get even better with the introduction of next generation satellites.

In the meantime, Russia’s largest truck producer KAMAZ is finalizing the first stage of driverless vehicle trials guided by the GLONASS navigation system.

KAMAZ is developing the unmanned truck in cooperation with Cognitive Technologies. Initial trials have taken place on the territory of the KAMAZ factory in Naberezhnye Chelny, in the Volga River Region, on a closed territory where the vehicle has proved its ability to drive and maneuver at a minimum speed that never exceeded 10 km/h.

Now the truck has been delivered to a larger test ground belonging to Russia’s Emergency Ministry near Moscow.

Olga Uskova, the president of Cognitive Technologies, said that now the unmanned vehicle is going to be testing its “artificial intelligence” in real time.

The truck will be controlling the road surface marking and waysides, and it will recognize road signs and differentiate them from advertising hoardings, perform U-turns, beware of obstacles on the road and stop when necessary, maintain movement in a convoy and perform other tasks.

“The system will know for sure if there’s a person or not in front of it,” Uskova said.

 

[JSCh]

Electric thruster propels China's interstellar ambitions

English.news.cn 2015-06-08 18:50:53

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- An electric thruster, creating a thrust as gentle as a breath blowing out a candle, could send a spacecraft to Mars, so long as it keeps "blowing" and accelerating the craft over time.

Electric propulsion is regarded as one of the top cutting-edge space technologies as it could make humans go into deep space at a lower cost than other forms of propulsion.

The few countries mastering the technology have kept it confidential. Relying on its own efforts, China has developed the state-of-the-art technology, following the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan, and hopes to enter the international electric propulsion communication satellite market.

China plans to send its first full electric propulsion satellite into orbit around 2020, providing broadband communication data transmission to China and neighboring regions, according to Wang Min, deputy chief designer of the communication satellite, at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

China also plans to launch a hybrid propulsion communication satellite at the end of 2016. The electric propulsion system would be used in China's space station in the future, Wang says.

Electric propulsion systems are mainly of the ion thruster or Hall thruster types. They are essentially similar, using electricity to ionize the propellant, usually xenon, and accelerating the ions to produce thrust.

The biggest advantage of electric propulsion is that it uses a tenth of the amount of propellant required by traditional chemical propulsion systems. A typical 5-tonne chemical propulsion communication satellite contains three tonnes of fuel. With an electric propulsion system, it would only need 300 kg of propellant, Wang says.

"The benefit is obvious. The weight of the satellite can be greatly decreased, so a rocket can send two satellites into orbit at the same time; or we can launch a cheap, small rocket to carry the satellite, which will greatly save on launch costs. We can also put more equipment on the satellite to improve its functions," Wang says.

With electric propulsion, a satellite's life would no longer be restricted by the amount of fuel it carried. The designed lifespan of a communication satellite would extend from the current 15 years to 20 years, says Wang.

However, the main drawback of electric propulsion is that its thrust is still low, so it cannot be used on carrier rockets and spacecraft that need to quickly enter orbit.

The application of electric propulsion could greatly improve the communication satellite's competitiveness in the commercial market, because communication satellites always need thrust to keep their positions on orbit.

In addition, the advantage of saving propellant could help interstellar probes travel farther in space.

So far, five deep space probes, propelled by electric thrusters, have explored the moon, asteroids and a comet. Japan's "Hayabusa" was the first to bring samples from an asteroid back to earth and U.S. spacecraft "Dawn" was the first to probe two asteroids in one mission.

"Electric propulsion technology will play an important role especially in manned deep space exploration," says Wang.

It's estimated that a manned Mars spacecraft, including landing and return systems, could weigh about 1,500 tonnes if using chemical propulsion. Since the most powerful carrier rocket at present can only carry around 100 tonnes of load to near-earth orbit, the spacecraft would need to be assembled in orbit at great cost.

With electric propulsion, the weight of the spacecraft could be reduced to 300 tonnes, experts say.

China launched the Shijian-9 satellite in 2012 to test the functions of two experimental electric thrusters.

Currently, China's electric thrusters generate up to 5 kilowatts. CAST plans to develop a 50-kilowatt electric thruster by 2020. An array of 40 electric thrusters of 50 kilowatts could send a 300-tonne spacecraft to Mars in 200 days, experts say.

Editor: An

 

[IND151]

China ranked fourth among world space powers: report_News_Icrosschina



China’s space capabilities are ranked the fourth in the world, and the gap between the leading powers is narrowing, according to a report issued recently by a Chinese research organization.

China is at a crucial period developing from a major power to a great power in space, says an evaluation by the Beijing Institute of Space Science and Technology Information, affiliated to the China Academy of Space Technology.

A Long March 3A rocket carrying meteorological satellite Fengyun-II 08 blasts off from the launching pad at Xichang Satellite Launch Center, southwest China's Sichuan Province, Dec. 31, 2014. By Liu Chan Xinhua/China Features



Last year saw a record 92 launches around the world, with 262 spacecraft put into orbit. The institute for the first time evaluated the space capabilities of 20 countries and regions across six aspects: strategy, product systems, infrastructure, industrial scale, innovation and international influence.

It rated the United States, Europe, Russia, China, Japan and India as the leading powers in space.

The United States’ status as the only super power in space is unshakable, but the gap between the United States and its followers is narrowing, says the report.

Europe and Russia are ranked as the next two great powers. With its technological advantages and alliances with the United States, Europe has made a giant leap in its space capability. Russia has curbed its decline, showing signs of recovery thanks to its medium and long-term plans and reform of its space industry, the report says.

An artist impression of Rosetta lander Philae on the surface of comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. AFP



China, Japan and India are major powers in space. Pursuing an independent development path, China has made remarkable accomplishments in space technology, showing strong momentum and potential. Driven by technological innovation, active international cooperation and an alliance with the United States, Japan has made rapid developments.

India became the first Asian country to successfully send a probe to Mars in 2014, marking a breakthrough in its space capability, says the report.

Scientists and officials of Indian Space Research Organisation pose for photos as they celebrate the success of Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM) on Sept. 24, 2014. Xinhua/China Features



The report also mentions emerging countries in space represented by Canada and the Republic of Korea, which closely follow China, Japan and India.

Space has become a “high frontier” as nations jostle for political, economic, military and science and technological advantages. Driven by the needs of national security and economic interests, more countries are vying to flex their muscles in space, says the report.

I must say I like Chinese humility. They have created a report that quite accurately, and to some extent modestly, judges Chinese space capabilities.

Yet, I agree, China is number 4 overall in space research.

So India is ranked 6th among Space Powers..........

Russia, China plan to develop joint transport navigation platform — RT News
Published time: June 05, 2015 14:29
RIA Novosti/Valeriy Melnikov

Russia and China plan to develop a joint transport navigation platform that bundles the advantages of Russia’s GLONASS and China’s BeiDou navigation satellite systems. The platform will be developed for commercial trucks this year.

“We’re planning to realize a project to provide navigation services to commercial transport operators moving from China to Russia and vice-versa,” the head of GLONASS’ international projects, Aleksandr Bondarenko, said Friday.

Navigation and communication equipment connected to the platform will be identical and the only difference is going to be the language of the interface of the platform.

A preliminary deal to create the platform has been reached between GLONASS and China North Industries Corporation (Norinco), maintaining technical implementation of China’s national navigation system BeiDou.

Norinco has expressed interest in equipping its commercial truck delivering goods to Russia with the proposed GLONASS/BeiDou navigation receivers.

The navigation, information and security services provided in Russia and China are going to be the same, Bondarenko said. A driver will be able to request technical support, to get help on the road, find the nearest petrol station and get satellite navigation services.

“All these functions will be bundled in a single device,” Bondarenko said.

The forward schedule of the project will be announced in July, Bondarenko said, stressing that the GLONASS federal navigation operator is set to start providing these services by the end of 2015.

China is planning to launch 13 new BeiDou navigation satellites to establish an orbit group capable of providing navigation services worldwide. Three new satellites will be launched into space within the coming weeks.

At the moment BeiDou has about 20 satellites that ensure positioning to an accuracy of 10 meters, which is set to get even better with the introduction of next generation satellites.

In the meantime, Russia’s largest truck producer KAMAZ is finalizing the first stage of driverless vehicle trials guided by the GLONASS navigation system.

KAMAZ is developing the unmanned truck in cooperation with Cognitive Technologies. Initial trials have taken place on the territory of the KAMAZ factory in Naberezhnye Chelny, in the Volga River Region, on a closed territory where the vehicle has proved its ability to drive and maneuver at a minimum speed that never exceeded 10 km/h.

Now the truck has been delivered to a larger test ground belonging to Russia’s Emergency Ministry near Moscow.

Olga Uskova, the president of Cognitive Technologies, said that now the unmanned vehicle is going to be testing its “artificial intelligence” in real time.

The truck will be controlling the road surface marking and waysides, and it will recognize road signs and differentiate them from advertising hoardings, perform U-turns, beware of obstacles on the road and stop when necessary, maintain movement in a convoy and perform other tasks.

“The system will know for sure if there’s a person or not in front of it,” Uskova said.

Any chinese (official) source?

 

[Bussard Ramjet]

Electric thruster propels China's interstellar ambitions

English.news.cn 2015-06-08 18:50:53

BEIJING, June 8 (Xinhua) -- An electric thruster, creating a thrust as gentle as a breath blowing out a candle, could send a spacecraft to Mars, so long as it keeps "blowing" and accelerating the craft over time.

Electric propulsion is regarded as one of the top cutting-edge space technologies as it could make humans go into deep space at a lower cost than other forms of propulsion.

The few countries mastering the technology have kept it confidential. Relying on its own efforts, China has developed the state-of-the-art technology, following the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan, and hopes to enter the international electric propulsion communication satellite market.

China plans to send its first full electric propulsion satellite into orbit around 2020, providing broadband communication data transmission to China and neighboring regions, according to Wang Min, deputy chief designer of the communication satellite, at the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).

China also plans to launch a hybrid propulsion communication satellite at the end of 2016. The electric propulsion system would be used in China's space station in the future, Wang says.

Electric propulsion systems are mainly of the ion thruster or Hall thruster types. They are essentially similar, using electricity to ionize the propellant, usually xenon, and accelerating the ions to produce thrust.

The biggest advantage of electric propulsion is that it uses a tenth of the amount of propellant required by traditional chemical propulsion systems. A typical 5-tonne chemical propulsion communication satellite contains three tonnes of fuel. With an electric propulsion system, it would only need 300 kg of propellant, Wang says.

"The benefit is obvious. The weight of the satellite can be greatly decreased, so a rocket can send two satellites into orbit at the same time; or we can launch a cheap, small rocket to carry the satellite, which will greatly save on launch costs. We can also put more equipment on the satellite to improve its functions," Wang says.

With electric propulsion, a satellite's life would no longer be restricted by the amount of fuel it carried. The designed lifespan of a communication satellite would extend from the current 15 years to 20 years, says Wang.

However, the main drawback of electric propulsion is that its thrust is still low, so it cannot be used on carrier rockets and spacecraft that need to quickly enter orbit.

The application of electric propulsion could greatly improve the communication satellite's competitiveness in the commercial market, because communication satellites always need thrust to keep their positions on orbit.

In addition, the advantage of saving propellant could help interstellar probes travel farther in space.

So far, five deep space probes, propelled by electric thrusters, have explored the moon, asteroids and a comet. Japan's "Hayabusa" was the first to bring samples from an asteroid back to earth and U.S. spacecraft "Dawn" was the first to probe two asteroids in one mission.

"Electric propulsion technology will play an important role especially in manned deep space exploration," says Wang.

It's estimated that a manned Mars spacecraft, including landing and return systems, could weigh about 1,500 tonnes if using chemical propulsion. Since the most powerful carrier rocket at present can only carry around 100 tonnes of load to near-earth orbit, the spacecraft would need to be assembled in orbit at great cost.

With electric propulsion, the weight of the spacecraft could be reduced to 300 tonnes, experts say.

China launched the Shijian-9 satellite in 2012 to test the functions of two experimental electric thrusters.

Currently, China's electric thrusters generate up to 5 kilowatts. CAST plans to develop a 50-kilowatt electric thruster by 2020. An array of 40 electric thrusters of 50 kilowatts could send a 300-tonne spacecraft to Mars in 200 days, experts say.

Editor: An

Just one thing my friend, US and USSR started playing with Electric Propulsion back in 1960s.

So, how much do you reckon China is behind Russia and US, in core space tech?

 

[qwerrty]

Just one thing my friend, US and USSR started playing with Electric Propulsion back in 1960s.

So, how much do you reckon China is behind Russia and US, in core space tech?

china playing with electric propulsion back since the 70s

33st international electric propulsion conference
http://www.iepc2013.org/get?id=048
http://www.iepc2013.org/get?id=047

Shi Jian-9a/b with ion and hall thrusters launched in 2012
Shi Jian-9 - eoPortal Directory - Satellite Missions

 

[cirr]

Long March 6 • Multi-payload

Launch time: TBD

Launch site: Taiyuan, China

A Chinese Long March 6 rocket will launch with a cluster of small Chinese amateur and university research satellites. The flight will mark the first launch of the Long March 6, a new rocket fueled by kerosene and liquid oxygen to replace China’s previous generation of launch vehicles. [May 28]

Launch Schedule | Spaceflight Now

 

[JSCh]

Just one thing my friend, US and USSR started playing with Electric Propulsion back in 1960s.

So, how much do you reckon China is behind Russia and US, in core space tech?

Relying on its own efforts, China has developed the state-of-the-art technology, following the United States, Russia, Europe and Japan, and hopes to enter the international electric propulsion communication satellite market.

As far as electric propulsion are concern, China stage is as the article indicated, has successfully research and developed, and also successfully tested on ground and in space aboard the SJ-9 satellite since 2012.

China also plans to launch a hybrid propulsion communication satellite at the end of 2016.

The technology would be deployed on the SJ-13 communication satellite in 2016. It is expected that majority of all future version of satellite bus would utilize the technology.

 

[JSCh]

China opens agency to clean up space junk circling earth | Asia Times
Author: AT Editor June 11, 2015

(From Caixin Online)

China has established a national agency to boost efforts aimed at tackling the growing threat that space junk poses to its space programs.

The new organization was formed by China’s space agency, known as the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a government research body. It is to research space debris, including non-functional spacecraft, abandoned parts of launch vehicles and other debris.

Xu Dazhe, director of the space agency, said the body will study, track and maneuver debris to protect the country’s space endeavors. It is also intended to make better use of the CAS’ observatories, which can be used to monitor space trash. Read more

 

[JSCh]

China using indigenous Beidou system to detect gas leaks
Source:Xinhua Published: 2015-6-12 16:57:43

China is planning to use its domestically-operated satellite navigation system to help log and detect possible leaks in gas pipelines, the National Administration of Surveying, Mapping and Geoinformation (NASMG) announced on Friday.

The program, using the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), will soon be put into place in more than 100 cities. It is already operational in "at least 10 cities", according to a statement from the NASMG.

China's 400,000 km of urban gas pipelines are fitted with pressure transistors that indicate low pressure or potential leaks. However, they can not be used to identify the exact site of the problem.

Under the new system, gas engineers will be given hand-held BDS devices which they can use to accurately record these locations, said Miao Qianjun, secretary general of the Global Navigation Satellite System and Location Based Services Association of China.

"The data collected will be compiled into leakage propensity analysis reports that will inform real-time risk assessment," according to Miao.

"The devices will also track the movements of employees, ensuring productivity," he added.

China plans to expand its urban gas pipeline network to 600,000 km by 2016.

The first BDS satellite was launched in the year 2000 to provide an alternative to satellite navigation systems developed by other countries. In December 2012, it began providing positioning, navigation, timing and short message services to China and some parts of the Asia Pacific.