Chinese Space Program

[cattalonX]

我国载人月球车研制方案初选结果公布 清华大学牵头的方案入选-清华大学

2023年10月25日，中国载人航天工程办公室发布了载人月球车研制方案征集初选结果。由清华大学牵头的研制方案“望舒之辇”入选。

www.tsinghua.edu.cn

Tsinghua University's manned lunar rover
But why Apollo？
hope to see other teams soon

 

[Deino]

Impressive first flight ...

https://twitter.com/x/status/1720023891945632102

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1720023891945632102

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1713087503350030541

View: https://twitter.com/cnsawatcher/status/1713087503350030541

New generation crew carrier rocket (reusable version) patent design revealed. Looks like the reusable version has eliminated the tail fins. Source: buff.ly/3txjNOS

https://twitter.com/x/status/1720689271366160861

View: https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1720689271366160861

CASIC ExPace completed a 200s hot fire test of their reusable 70t-thrust MingFeng-2 metholox engine. The previously tested MingFeng-1 is smaller and provides 100kN thrust.
mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VsjyLbhV_rhX…

https://twitter.com/x/status/1710775404204810263

View: https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1710775404204810263

SAST showcases the Long March 6C model at IAC2023

 

[publiusr]

Hard landing

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvfrxL3YGA

 

[Michel Van]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1726811417653960727

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1726811417653960727

 

[Flyaway]

The launch of the Xuntian Space Telescope has been delayed until NET mid 2025.

China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope

The Xuntian Space Telescope is China’s entry in a global race to unlock the secrets of dark energy, and it will now lift off no earlier than mid-2025

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[snne]

The launch of the Xuntian Space Telescope has been delayed until NET mid 2025.

China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope

The Xuntian Space Telescope is China’s entry in a global race to unlock the secrets of dark energy, and it will now lift off no earlier than mid-2025

www.scientificamerican.com

Afaik it was supposed to be launched this year. I mean the last I checked, everything was either already ready or was getting there. What happened?

 

[Flyaway]

The case of the mysterious moon crash is now conclusively closed, a new study reports.

…

The mystery involved the identity of the impactor, which astronomers designated WE0913A. Initial observations suggested it might be the upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched the Earth-observing DSCOVR satellite in February 2015. But, after further work, astronomers soon settled on a different candidate: The third and uppermost stage of the Long March 3C rocket that lofted China's uncrewed Chang'e 5-T1 mission around the moon in October 2014.

…

The new study also sheds further light on the distinctive crater that resulted from the March 2022 moon crash.

…

The most plausible explanation for this behavior, team members said, is a dumbbell-like object — one with considerable mass at each end.

Rogue rocket that slammed into the moon last year confirmed to be Chinese vehicle

It was part of the Long March 3C that launched the Chang'e 5-T1 mission in 2014, a new study finds.

www.space.com

Related paper:

ShieldSquare Captcha

 

[bobbymike]

Any resemblance is purely coincidental

China makes progress on Raptor-like engines for super heavy rocket

China makes progress on Raptor-like engines for super heavy rocket China is progressing with a program to develop full-flow staged-combustion-cycle methane engines to power its reusable Long March 9 super heavy-lift launcher.

spacenews.com

 

[cattalonX]

太空影像志_中国载人航天官方网站

CSS image from Shenzhou 16

 

[publiusr]

I see they suffered a pad explosion

Rocket Report: A mysterious explosion in China; Firefly tests new engine

Firefly Aerospace has announced a major milestone for its new medium-lift rocket.

arstechnica.com

 

[martinbayer]

I see they suffered a pad explosion

[Sh]it happens.

 

[publiusr]

I’ll give them this—they love their rockets.

While Elon was forced to play death metal to seals on boards, China enjoys the world’s largest vape experience:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1730271900209741885

Smells like…victory
View: https://twitter.com/DrChrisCombs/status/1730271900209741885/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1730271900209741885&currentTweetUser=DrChrisCombs


Hey F&A!

 

[TheKutKu]

It turns out that Orienspace has real flight hardware ready to launch in the upcoming weeks to months, let's see how it does.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1732382717873176958

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1732382717873176958



A 400t launcher developped in 3.5 years since the company's founding.

 

[TheKutKu]

Liftoff at ~23:39UTC on December 08, LANDSPACE’s Zhuque-2 Y3 launched 3 satellites: HongHu, TianYi-33 and HongHu-2, from Jiuquan, this is the first operational launch of this launcher after last July's maiden launch, and the first methane-powered rocket to deploy payloads,





Long March 5 Y6 with 18.5m long fairing has been rolled out to launch pad at Wenchang for launch planned for December 15

 

[Michel Van]

Ispace made another test

https://twitter.com/x/status/1733794847905988759

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1733794847905988759

 

[Michel Van]

I've seen this rocket before, do not know where...at KSC perhaps ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1735005443137884414

View: https://publish.twitter.com/?url=https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1735005443137884414

 

[publiusr]

Seems familiar....Kistler?
[SLAP] AUGH!

 

[TheKutKu]

http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2023/1214/c1004-40139219.html

Succesful (3rd) launch of the Chinese Reusable Spacecraft.




ORIENSPACE has completed ship transfer rehearsal of their first Gravity-1 launcher. This was the last rehearsal before launch, now planned for December 20th

 

[Deino]

Liftoff at ~23:39UTC on December 08, LANDSPACE’s Zhuque-2 Y3 launched 3 satellites: HongHu, TianYi-33 and HongHu-2, from Jiuquan, this is the first operational launch of this launcher after last July's maiden launch, and the first methane-powered rocket to deploy payloads,

View attachment 713822
View attachment 713821
View attachment 713819
View attachment 713820
Long March 5 Y6 with 18.5m long fairing has been rolled out to launch pad at Wenchang for launch planned for December 15

Any info on its mission and/or payload?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1735651819467034670

View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1735651819467034670

 

[Deino]

Just launched this moment

https://twitter.com/x/status/1735670332940243307

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1735670332940243307

 

[jsport]

Chinese Spacecraft Emitting Strong Signal Over North America

Amateur astronomer and satellite tracker Scott Tilley says China's top-secret spaceplane is emitting strong signals over North America.

futurism.com

 

[Flyaway]

Chinese Spacecraft Emitting Strong Signal Over North America

Amateur astronomer and satellite tracker Scott Tilley says China's top-secret spaceplane is emitting strong signals over North America.

futurism.com

Other than the fact that Shenlong is a completely different project and nothing to do with the spaceplane they mean which I don’t believe has a publicly acknowledged name.

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1738469749179171088

View: https://twitter.com/cnsawatcher/status/1738469749179171088

Tianwen-4, launching Sept 2029, will journey to Jupiter using Venus & Earth gravity assists. Targeting Jupiter capture by Dec 2035 & a Uranus flyby in March 2045, the mission includes 2 probes, one exploring Jupiter's system and another flying by Uranus. buff.ly/48ygw13

 

[Flyaway]

Einstein Probe lifts off on a mission to monitor the X-ray sky

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/...fts_off_on_a_mission_to_monitor_the_X-ray_sky

 

[Michel Van]

launch of OrienSpace's Gravity-1
seems its a success

Waring Loud rocket engines

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745412698131612123

View: https://twitter.com/NosVemosEnM4rte/status/1745412698131612123

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745328012806222183

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1745328012806222183

 

[snne]

https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1745733373392216103?s=20

 

[publiusr]

An all solid, near R-7 equivalent launched from a ship....for years I have seen artists conceptions of LVs lifting off carriers and such...and it took China to do it.

 

[snne]

https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1745733373392216103?s=20

https://twitter.com/x/status/1745851841123156049

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1745851841123156049?s=20

 

[Byeman]

An all solid, near R-7 equivalent launched from a ship....for years I have seen artists conceptions of LVs lifting off carriers and such...and it took China to do it.

Ah, no.
a. Why do you see things from a Russian POV? This isn't like the R-7. The core does not burn with the boosters. It is more like the Titan with 4 SRMs

b. A V-2 was launched from a carrier in 1947

 

[TheKutKu]

Shtil and Volna were launched from submarines in the 90s and 2000s, CZ-11 has recently been launched from Ships; Zenit was on Odyssey, a self propelled platform. Ceres-1, CZ-11 and Jielong 3 have also launched on towed platforms iirc.

 

[Byeman]

Shtil and Volna were launched from submarines in the 90s and 2000s, CZ-11 has recently been launched from Ships; Zenit was on Odyssey, a self propelled platform. Ceres-1, CZ-11 and Jielong 3 have also launched on towed platforms iirc.

He said carrier, so I didn't bother with Sealaunch the most obvious.

 

[TheKutKu]

As of the latest news, it looks like the SAST's 3.8m diameter Kerolox launcher (sometime called XLV these past months) has received the name "Long March 12", its maiden launch will be the inaugural launch of Wenchang Commercial Space Center Pad 2 in June according to the official bulletin of the space center.

Here is a recap of its capabilities as of 2020.

 

[TheKutKu]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1747687344382116145

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1747687344382116145


Tianzhou 7 launched and docked to Tiangong

China’s Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket

China’s Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket Chinese launch startup Landspace executed a first vertical takeoff, vertical landing with a test article Friday at a launch and recovery site at Jiuquan spaceport.

spacenews.com

https://twitter.com/x/status/1748332381839471076

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1748332381839471076

 

[publiusr]

Here is their big methalox engine

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VpfqZPVxi74&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.nasaspaceflight.com%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt

 

[Flyaway]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1756938593673572698

View: https://twitter.com/aj_fi/status/1756938593673572698

A logo for the upcoming Chang'e-6 lunar far side sample return mission appears in a CCTV report. weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5…

View: https://youtu.be/9qLvdylUKP8

 

[Michel Van]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760237284102746201

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

 

[TheKutKu]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760237284102746201

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

Starting with 1st stage reuse and development is definitely a good choice

 

[sferrin]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1760237284102746201

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

Pure coincidence.

 

[snne]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1761222735571943732

View: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1761222735571943732?s=20