China's space program

[XRZ.YZ]

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2022-04-24/China-s-space-endeavors-beyond-space-station-What-s-ahead--19twVD1Wgxy/index.html

Some updated schedule from seventh space day in China.

ChangE 6/7/8 will be launched before 2030.
ILRS (lunar station) by 2035


Planetary Exploration
TianWen-2: asteroids sample return, NET2025-2026

TianWen-3: Mars Sample Return by 2030 (I saw elsewhere it will launch on 2028).

TianWen-4: Jupiter Exploration

Interstellar probe, 100AU by 2049

[XRZ.YZ]

https://spacenews.com/china-to-conduct-asteroid-deflection-test-around-2025/

Also, on planetary defense.

[tangdou8]

What Wenchang might look like in the future?

[mikezang]

What Wenchang might look like in the future?

I think The sea is one right of Wenchang.

[limen4]

What Wenchang might look like in the future?

I think The sea is one right of Wenchang.

View from Northeast to Southwest!

[tenkendojo]

What Wenchang might look like in the future?

Launch facilities from top to bottom along the coast:
1. Booster reuse platforms
2. Commercial launch pad
3. Multipurpose launch pad
4. Heavy crewed moon rocket launch pad
5. CZ5 family launch pad (current launch pad no 1)
6. CZ7 and CZ7 families launch pad (current pad no 2)

[otter]

Construction of China's first commercial spacecraft launch site starts in Hainan

https://english.news.cn/20220706/358f8046503a431ca7697838e065bb10/c.html

[tangdou8]

Sat image shows the construction sign of the Commercial launch site and a possible third VAB(for CZ5/7?) on the right side of the CZ7/8 VAB

[Steven Pietrobon]

Here's a crappy 360p video showing China's future plans. There is a _lot_ of information here. Anyone care to translate the slides?



I've attached some screen captures.

1) CZ-5 to CZ-8 family. Not sure what the last vehicle is. The label looks like CZ-3D with 7 t to GTO.
2) The small upper stage family, YZ-1, YZ-1A, YZ-1S, YZ-2 and YZ-3.
3) Chinese rocket family. Would love to see this in better resolution.
4) Plans for 100 t to LEO.
5) China v USA in launches to orbit.
6) Table of small commercial launches, including KT-1, KZ-1, KZ-1A, KA-11, SD-1 and ZQ-1.
7) Tiangong Space Station.
8) Lunar exploration plans. He3 is mentioned!
9) Mars sample return before 2030!
10&11) Five missions are listed from B to F, also giving the launch vehicles used. I think B should be TW-2 (Tianwen 2), an asteroid sample return mission to 2016H03. C is the asteroid impact mission to 2020PN1. D is TW-3, the Mars sample return mission using two launches (CZ-5 and CZ-3B). Note sure what E is, but its using a CZ-5. F looks like an interstellar mission to 80-100 AU.

[Steven Pietrobon]

The new information keeps on coming!

12) SSPS (Space Solar Power Systems). The second and third systems are 660 t and 10,000 t, using 17 and 143 CZ-9 launches, respectively.
13) Reusability plans, including CZ-5DY. One idea is to use a parafoil to recover CZ-3B/C stages. Grid fins used on CZ-2C.
14) More information on CZ-5DY. The crewed version is now called CZ-5ZRL and I believe will replace CZ-2F in 2030. The engines in red could be the ones that re-ignite for landing.
15) Slide of the new CZ-9 Starship version that was shown previously, but at a different angle so that we can read all the writing.
16) CZ-9 hardware! Shown is a 9.5 m dome and I believe the 120 t hydrolox engine which looks like it has the label YF-98.
17) SQX-1, SD and CZ-8A.
18) Future plans to 2035.
19) Images show a nuclear thermal stage in LEO with a crewed habitat at one end, an ion engine, a solar wind sail and a sled launched winged launch vehicle.
20-23) No idea! Slide 20 has some text that has been blurred.

[tangdou8]

Here is a 1080p version of it on a Chinese video platform(【长征九号：龙乐豪院士最新讲座-哔哩哔哩】 https://b23.tv/Nav7VAA)

Here's a crappy 360p video showing China's future plans. There is a _lot_ of information here. Anyone care to translate the slides?



I've attached some screen captures.

1) CZ-5 to CZ-8 family. Not sure what the last vehicle is. The label looks like CZ-3D with 7 t to GTO.
2) The small upper stage family, YZ-1, YZ-1A, YZ-1S, YZ-2 and YZ-3.
3) Chinese rocket family. Would love to see this in better resolution.
4) Plans for 100 t to LEO.
5) China v USA in launches to orbit.
6) Table of small commercial launches, including KT-1, KZ-1, KZ-1A, KA-11, SD-1 and ZQ-1.
7) Tiangong Space Station.
Lunar exploration plans. He3 is mentioned!
9) Mars sample return before 2030!
10&11) Five missions are listed from B to F, also giving the launch vehicles used. I think B should be TW-2 (Tianwen 2), an asteroid sample return mission to 2016H03. C is the asteroid impact mission to 2020PN1. D is TW-3, the Mars sample return mission using two launches (CZ-5 and CZ-3B). Note sure what E is, but its using a CZ-5. F looks like an interstellar mission to 80-100 AU.

[sdsds]

In the chart on the right those might be comparisons of payload mass fractions to GTO. (Presumably Delta-)4H looks unusually high. Is that interpretation correct?

[luhai167]

In the chart on the right those might be comparisons of payload mass fractions to GTO. (Presumably Delta-)4H looks unusually high. Is that interpretation correct?

Going off of the wikipedia's GTO mass over gross mass, the numbers are a little different, but it's in the same ballpark.

1.51% for falcon 9 block 5
1.64% for CZ-5
1.94% for Delta-4 Heavy

[Steven Pietrobon]

In the chart on the right those might be comparisons of payload mass fractions to GTO. (Presumably Delta-)4H looks unusually high. Is that interpretation correct?

I believe so, as Delta IVH is an all hydrolox rocket, so the propellant mass to payload mass is a lot less compare to kerolox rockets. However, due to the low density of hydrolox, you need really big stages, so the dry mass to payload mass could be worse compared to kerolox.