Tianwen-3: Mars Rover Collects and Returns Samples to Earth
CNSA Watcher - Archives
8 Mar 2024
Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission demonstration video: The rover collects samples on the Martian surface (not just digging around the landing site), autonomously packages the samples and loads them into the ascent vehicle, which is then launched into orbit and rendezvous with the return combination. The combination obtains the samples carried by the ascent vehicle through a robotic arm, then launches back to Earth and parachutes into the landing module.
China targets 2030 for Mars sample return mission, potential landing areas revealed China is making progress towards a 2030 launch for its Tianwen-3 Mars sample return mission and has narrowed down potential landing areas.
Hopefully this will lit a fire under NASA and Congress ar$es, to salvage MSR: presently stuck halfway into its development. Will be interesting to check the chinese MSR architecture and also their development costs.
I'd found it sad that with 50 years of MSR studies and false starts under their belt, NASA ends beaten by China at the MSR game.
Surprise Chinese lunar mission hit by launch anomaly A pair of Chinese spacecraft, apparently intended for lunar orbit, have potentially been lost following an issue with a Long March rocket's upper stage on Wednesday.
spacenews.com
A rare (first in 180 launches) Long March launch failure, or more accurately its Yuanzheng kick-stage, that was meant to send two satellites to a Lunar distant retrograde orbit
The latest TLEs show it in a 263x277 km parking orbit, although the TLE may be outdated, they won’t have much time to try to salvage the launch.
Hopefully this won’t affect the upcoming sample return Chang’e 6 and its relay queqiao 2
3 launch mishaps in a row these past days, uncommon.
The #LongMarch5 Y8 carrier rocket for #Chang’e 6 mission has arrived at the #Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site in south China's Hainan Province.
The Chang'e 6 mission is schedule
Hopefully this will lit a fire under NASA and Congress ar$es, to salvage MSR: presently stuck halfway into its development. Will be interesting to check the chinese MSR architecture and also their development costs.
I'd found it sad that with 50 years of MSR studies and false starts under their belt, NASA ends beaten by China at the MSR game.
I think in the end NASA will end up conceding MSR to China, either by design or more likely due to circumstances outside their control now that they no longer have a strong planetary mission advocate in Congress.
For those wondering QUEQIAO-2 has chugged along just fine over the past few days. Here's the best details we have on trajectory. The relay satellite has been using ground stations in Argentina and China to communicate with Earth. Details in
Asteroid optical observers came up with a good state vector for QUEQIAO-2 I've noticed the mission has a pretty horrible internal oscillator. It does wobble a fair amount more than I've seen on earlier Chinese missions. This could effect locked comms, note long sweeping...
The Espacio Lejano Station in the Neuquén Province of Argentina is in full use w/ QUEQIAO-2. Excellent fits to the 3-way Doppler data have been obtained. I used very wide 100Hz bins which explains size of residuals. W/ 1Hz bins the err would be subHz range.
The Lunar Orbit Insertion (LOI) burn appears to be scheduled for around 2024-03-24T17:00 UTC while as usual QUEQIAO-2 is high over China, I I have good confidence in this timing.
Anyone have any idea what the period of the "capture" orbit is? Not noted on released details.
that's incorrect in some points, chinese space program are facing many difficulties like sanctions and high cost(compared with private space companies), but politics couldn't be a difficulty
At Space Pioneer, the second Tianlong 2 (2t to orbit) has been assembled for a launch later this year, simultaneously, the hot fire test first stage of the Tianlong 3 is currently being assembled, Tianlong 3 (18t to orbit) fairing can also be seen, the company is celebraing its Fifth aniversary
Meanwhile, two other companies, DeepBlue Aerospace and Landspace are preparing for high altitude VTVL tests of demonstrators.
Landspace's demonstrator will fly to 10 km and has a thrust of 80t
Deepblue Aerospace's high altitude demonstrator has a sea level thrust of 66t, their demonstrator is supposed to be representative of the first Stage of their Nebula launcher, which they hope to launch and recover later this year
Meanwhile, with the first Wenchang commercial pad (background) completed since last December, the second is taking shape.
The first launch pad was finished only 18 months after ground was broke, fuel testing with CZ-8 pathfinder has already happene. Things are going fast there...
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spacenews.com
Things are going fast there...
www.telegraph.co.uk
