Of course, I know from experience in studying the Soviet space programme in the 1970s and 1980s it is far easier to calculate what might happen and invent imaginary space missions than it is to predict what might happen.So, please bear this in mind with what follows.Two CZ-5 launches, one with a fulled TLI stage, ~25 tonnes, and the second with a Tiangong class module with an LOI stage. Dock the two in LEO and fly to selenocentric orbit.Then follow Scott Pace's idea of two CZ-5 launches,
This could be an intermediate stage before the heavy lift launcher comes online for a Chinese landing, allowing a manned reconnaissance from selenocentric orbit.
Just a thought and no proof that this would happen, of course!
Would you be surprised to learn there are professional lurkers from Communist China's space program fishing for different ideas and concepts (of possible benefit to China) on this website?
Who knows how many lunar lander designs NASA has been through.Only 1 ever got built.
They're going to go to the moon without telling anybody. They'll announce it from the lunar surface.
I really enjoyed the episode of The Earth To Moon where they take you inside Grumman to see everything they had to go through to make it a reality.Apparently Grumman had to scrape away at nuts and bolts, chemically etch away at the LM's hull until it fit the weight requirements. That thing was like landing on the moon in a ship made from mom's kitchen foil!What I want to know is why can't the US, Russia, Europe AND China all build a stack of rocket modules at the ISS and do a joint "International Lunar Mission"? Surely it would ease the financial burden of one country if we all worked together and instead of a Moon race like in the 60's it could be an international project just like the ISS has proved!
Here's the Chinese Lunar Module that was published in "On issues of China manned Lunar exploration,"...
I can't think of a better way to increase those costs than having a team composed of the three countries you mention all try to work together to build inter-operable and interdependent space hardware.
"Future Developments of Chinese Space Systems"Another article on China's moon program. It's from the same guy that wrote the other article a few pages back. The author 龙乐豪, was chief engineer for CZ-3A and deputy program director for the current Chang'e program. It should be fairly creditable. The same person also wrote the article on the 1st page of this thread back in 2008.Edit: the main new point in the article is that the moon plan in fig 1 is a short term moon plan set in pre-2025 time frame. Using CZ-5DY as a mission specific mod of CZ-5 with LEO capability at 50t. Past 2030-2040 time frame a 130t LEO heavy lift rocket would be developed for a possible moon base or Mars missions.
The two stage lunar rocket (to be assembled in LEO) would have a single 100t liquid hydrogen engine, length of 26m, diameter of 5m. Total of 30t capability to lunar orbit.
to quote page 5"CZ-5DY would have 5m diameter, 120t kerosene engine and 70t liquid hydrogen engine. It would 2 100t liquid hydrogen and the lunar landing stage into LEO, and assembled there. The entire mission would be done in Wenchang, Hainan using existing (in 2020) facilities. "
Still, that's enough for a lunar orbit research station as massive as a Shenzhou and a Tiangong combined!
Quote from: sdsds on 01/23/2012 08:25 amStill, that's enough for a lunar orbit research station as massive as a Shenzhou and a Tiangong combined!Also enough for a simple, barebones lander. Heck, they could even think about a 1-manned open "hopper-type" lander where the pilot wears his suit all the time. Just for putting a man and a flag on the moon, that would be enough...