Will the cargo vehicles be used for orbital boosting and the like for Tiangong-2?
Quote from: Star One on 06/11/2013 09:28 pmWill the cargo vehicles be used for orbital boosting and the like for Tiangong-2?That's a good possibility. If TG-2 is meant to stay in orbit far more longer than TG-1, it surely wont rely only on the fuel launched at the beginning of its mission. But, in other way, with China practicing the fuel transfer in orbit with TG-2 and with the cargo vehicles, its hard to tell at this time.Other question is: What is China going to do with the original Tiangong-2? We know that this was similar to TG-1. Can it be transformed in some kind of 'Star Module' like the ones that were docked with Salyut-6/7? Surely, there will be time enough to upgrade the «old» module with a new docking port.
Quote from: Satori on 06/11/2013 09:44 pmQuote from: Star One on 06/11/2013 09:28 pmWill the cargo vehicles be used for orbital boosting and the like for Tiangong-2?That's a good possibility. If TG-2 is meant to stay in orbit far more longer than TG-1, it surely wont rely only on the fuel launched at the beginning of its mission. But, in other way, with China practicing the fuel transfer in orbit with TG-2 and with the cargo vehicles, its hard to tell at this time.Other question is: What is China going to do with the original Tiangong-2? We know that this was similar to TG-1. Can it be transformed in some kind of 'Star Module' like the ones that were docked with Salyut-6/7? Surely, there will be time enough to upgrade the «old» module with a new docking port. Nice idea that would also give them experience of linking big modules in space as well as an easy way to create a largish complex. I imagine with a complex made up of a Shenzhou vehicle, Tiangong-2, additional module & large cargo vehicle you could go beyond a three person crew?
I was at Paris Airshow at weekend and the guy on the Chinese Great Wall Industry stand said that the next manned flight by China would be "....sometime in 2015...". Would not give any specifics when asked but I don't think he knew anyway.Phill
A few Chinese media reports about today, in the wake of the successful conclusion of SZ-10, that TG-2 is planned to be launched 'within 2 years.'
China will continue to carry out development and construction of a space laboratory and plans to launch Tiangong-2 space lab around 2015, an aerospace official told a press conference Wednesday.Wang Zhaoyao, director of China's manned space program office, said the country plans to put in orbit an experimental core module of a space station around 2018 and complete the construction of a manned space station by 2020.Prior to 2020, China will launch a series of cargo and manned spacecraft to deliver material supplies and transport astronauts to the future space lab and space station, according to Wang.China will use new generation rockets with larger carrying capacities,said Yuan Jie, deputy general manager of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp., at the press conference.The Long March 5 carrier rocket will be used for the launching of the manned space station, and Long March 7 for carrying the cargo spacecraft for the station.The new generation rockets will use new technologies. For example, new engines with non-toxic and non-polluting liquefied propellent will be used,which are safer and more environment friendly, according to Yuan.The two types of rockets, both of which are under development, will be launched at a new launch site in south China's Hainan Province.According to Yuan, the maiden flight for both rockets will be completed before 2015.
I want to remind this discussion that Tiangong had neither the orbital navigation nor then thruster arrangement to be an 'active' rendezvous vehicle, and 'reconfiguration' to add-on such capabilities may not be easy. As an example: it's not enough to have rotation control and one axis -- usually +X -- of 'translation'. An active docking vehicle must have both plus and minus X, along with balanced lateral translation, usually needing paired fore/aft thrusters [or midbody thrusters near the center of mass] to nudge the vehicle 'sideways' [Y and Z axes] without imparting significant rotation. The 'Progress' and Apollo CSM thruster arrangements may serve as models. Perhaps a set of 'quads' as on the Apollo SM could be bolted around the new vehicle's midsection. Maybe not so hard after all.
Screen shots from the video show that Tiangong 2 is essentially the same (outside!) as Tiangong 1, and so I would expect that it will be launched atop a CZ-2F variant from Jiuquan.There is also an animation which shows the planned cargo freighter which is to be flown to Tiangong 2 and showing the two docked. The docking takes place at the same port which has been used by Shenzhou spacecraft for Tiangong 1 and at the time of this docking there is no Shenzhou docked. This strongly suggests that the cargo freighter visit - to replenish propellant supplies - will take place while Tiangong 2 is unoccupied and therefore there is no need for a second docking port on Tiangong 2. Maybe it will take place between two Shenzhou occupations so that a crew can check out Tiangong before the first freighter arrives?Maybe its a trick of the lighting in the video or my poor eyesight, but while the freighter looks to be the same design as Tiangong 2, in the docked configuration it appears to have a smaller diameter.The video does say that crews will perform "medium" stays in space, maybe 1-2 months, on Tiangong 2.
I am mildly surprised that they don't go with two docking ports on their second station. I know this transition took a while with Salyut but then something like two docking ports had never been done before.
Quote from: Star One on 09/24/2013 11:01 amI am mildly surprised that they don't go with two docking ports on their second station. I know this transition took a while with Salyut but then something like two docking ports had never been done before.I would guess that the design changes required to have a second docking port - at the rear? - on Tiangong 2 are too great for a one-off mission. The second docking port was introduced with the second generation Soviet Salyuts so it was not for a one-off station design: Salyuts 6, 7, the Mir core and the second generation Almaz stations. So, a single docking port for Tiangong 2 makes perfect sense.
Quote from: Phillip Clark on 09/24/2013 11:12 amQuote from: Star One on 09/24/2013 11:01 amI am mildly surprised that they don't go with two docking ports on their second station. I know this transition took a while with Salyut but then something like two docking ports had never been done before.I would guess that the design changes required to have a second docking port - at the rear? - on Tiangong 2 are too great for a one-off mission. The second docking port was introduced with the second generation Soviet Salyuts so it was not for a one-off station design: Salyuts 6, 7, the Mir core and the second generation Almaz stations. So, a single docking port for Tiangong 2 makes perfect sense.Is this station only to have a very limited life then, is there much at all design wise that is different from the first I wonder?