1

Chinese Launchers / Re: Tianyi x 6 - Zhuque-2E (Y2) - Jiuquan - May 17, 2025 (04:12 UTC)

« Last post by TheKutKu on Today at 12:37 pm »

By comparison with Y1, IMO it still looks like the "stopgap" version of ZQ-2E, it is a bit taller than the Y1 given the larger fairing but not the 55m of the full version.

Official mission patch confirms that it's the same mass as Y1, however Y2 used the TQ-12A for the first time on a ZQ-2E, resulting in slightly higher thrust (73.5tf/engine at SL vs 70.5tf/engine at SL)

2

Missions To Mars (HSF) / Re: How Will We Travel on Mars Itself?

« Last post by BN on Today at 12:31 pm »

I have never used autopilot or FSD, even when FSD was offered for free trial. These features are too complicated to be trusted.

I am absolutely blown away by this lol.

3

Chinese Launchers / Re: Taikong Jisuan x 12 - CZ-2D - Jiuquan - May 14, 2025 (04:12 UTC)

« Last post by TheKutKu on Today at 12:30 pm »

https://m.spacechina.com/n2014789/n2014804/c4336622/content.html


Interestingly, the launch services were provided by the CASC Commercial Rocket co, (中国航天科技集团商业火箭有限公司), the new high level CASC subsidiary (although mainly tied to Shanghai's aerospace sector and SAST) founded in September 2024 [1] and that has led the development of the reusable "CZ-12B"/"4m Kerolox Reusable LV" whose S2 had a static fire in March [2].

BTW, "CACL" on the patch seems to mean China Aerospace Science and Technology Commercial Launch Vehicle Group Co.,Ltd. which is the official english translation of 中国航天科技集团商业火箭有限公司 (which is however directly translated as China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation Commercial Rocket Co., Ltd)

4

Spaceflight Entertainment and Hobbies / Re: Andor **** SPOILER Discussion ****

« Last post by Blackstar on Today at 12:15 pm »

"Yavin doesn't make a lot of sense."

It's a secret base with a lot of people coming and going, and at some point the Empire would find out about it.

5

Chinese Launchers / Re: ? - CZ-7A - Wenchang - May 20, 2025 (11:50 UTC)

« Last post by mikezang on Today at 12:08 pm »

Launched!

6

Missions To Mars (HSF) / Re: Processing/Collection of Water Ice on Mars

« Last post by BN on Today at 12:02 pm »

the power situation is fairly worked out. a ~50kw fission reactor will likely be used. we have already developed these as part of the Kilopower project, as well as Camp Century.

this is one of the best resources on this topic for crewed mars:

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/20170002010/downloads/20170002010.pdf

Don't drag the ice to the sublimation oven.  Build the sublimation oven around the ice.

This is my general concept.

    1. Cover the surface with a thin membrane, burying the perimeter.
    2. Pull a vacuum (these two steps are already proven with vacuum surcharging on Earth).
    3. The ice underneath sublimates at the lower pressure.
    4. Re-deposit the (now clean) ice in a collection vessel.
    5. Recycle the heat of deposition back under the membrane, so it's used to sublimate more ice. Lots of heat in that phase change!
    6. Optionally you might expose ice by "gardening" with heavy equipment or blasting, make the membrane a solar collector (80% vs 25% efficient), or selectively insulate to reduce heat loss.

Fortunately this is very short range movement of water vapor (as mentioned above), so it does work...

don't need the membrane imo. why do you think that is necessary?

my concept:

phase 1
1. augur vacuum begins drilling
2. friction heat → localized sublimation → water vapor → condensation hopper

phase 2
1. shovel high purity regolith into a tank
2. transportation to separation hopper

phase 3
1. open pit mining of korolev ice blocks

7

Suborbital Missions / Re: The suborbital thread!

« Last post by StraumliBlight on Today at 11:56 am »

Russia’s Planned ICBM Test Near Nizhny Tagil Mysteriously Aborted [May 19]

Russia appears to have scrubbed a planned overnight launch of its RS-24 “Yars” intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), according to report from the Ukrainian defense outlet Defense Express on May 19.

Ukrainian military intelligence had warned that the Strategic Rocket Forces intended to conduct a “training-combat” test between May 18 and 19 from an un­usual location: a field site near the village of Svobodny in the Sverdlovsk region, about 15 miles southeast of Nizhny Tagil.

[...]

Whether the launch was canceled at the pad or aborted seconds after ignition is unclear.

“Even with deep modernization, any solid-fuel ICBM carries the risk of an early-stage failure,” Defense Express concluded.

Earlier, satellite imagery analyzed by Defense Express revealed Russia preparing its R-30 Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile, a key component of its nuclear triad.

The missile, designed for Borey-class submarines, can carry multiple warheads and has a range of up to 9,300 km. Ukrainian intelligence reported a recent Bulava test failure, contradicting Russian claims of success.

8

Advanced Concepts / РД-270М

« Last post by Skye on Today at 11:53 am »

Can we talk about the insanity of this engine? Not only was it a Soviet FFSC engine IN THE 60s, but also the M variant (this thread’s focus) ran on N2O4 and PENTABORANE of all things!? Genuinely what?

9

Chinese Launchers / Re: ? - CZ-7A - Wenchang - May 20, 2025 (~11:50 UTC)

« Last post by john57sharp on Today at 11:46 am »

thank you.

10

Chinese Launchers / Re: ? - CZ-7A - Wenchang - May 20, 2025 (~11:50 UTC)

« Last post by starbase on Today at 11:40 am »

Any clues which series the Flight 10 indicates? NextSpaceFlight has other numbers.

10th flight of CZ-7A https://space.skyrocket.de/doc_lau_det/cz-7a.htm