Author Topic: Link Space - New Chinese Launch Company (Read 27513 times)

Michel Van · « **on:** 09/20/2017 04:55 pm »

Privat Chinese Company "Link Space" build now the New Line 1 rocket
it bring 200 kilograms into a Sun-synchronous orbit of 250 to 550 kilometers.
using KeroLox engine and first stage is reusable.
Link Space, aim for launch price of $4.5 million and if Successful bigger rockets like New Line 2 and 3 are coming
Similarity with Falcon9 is pure coincidence..

Source
http://www.spaceflightinsider.com/space-flight-news/footsteps-spacex-chinese-company-eyes-development-reusable-rocket/

https://www.chinaspaceflight.com/usr/uploads/2017/09/17/1505646953353779.jpg

ChrisWilson68 · « **Reply #1 on:** 09/20/2017 05:07 pm »

The fold-out legs on their first-stage in the graphics seem familiar somehow...I can't quite remember where I've seen them before. :-)

I'm surprised it's taken this long for someone in another country to try to copy SpaceX.

spacenut · « **Reply #2 on:** 09/20/2017 05:58 pm »

Maybe if this little rocket is successful, other "American" companies might wake up and see the light. Can't be left behind.

Michel Van · « **Reply #3 on:** 09/20/2017 07:28 pm »

let me see

other "American" companies: Blue Origin, Stratolaunch, supposed ULA (were is there progress repot?)

The Indian Space Research Organisation working on re-usable launch vehicle technology

and Andropov announced restart of An-225 production with help of a China company
what could bring us the NPO MOLNIYA MAKS project back
https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,27829.0.html

SmallKing · « **Reply #4 on:** 10/10/2017 08:38 am »

zhangmdev · « **Reply #5 on:** 10/10/2017 09:22 am »

http://www.linkspace.com.cn/show/?id=45&siteid=1

Very little is known about the company. Updates are few and far between. According to the latest one:

Link Space had completed 3 VTVL test vehicles, reused for 200+ times. It had a large liquid engine test facility up and running since June 2016. PreA financing was around tens of millions of RMB.

http://www.linkspace.com.cn/show/?id=36&siteid=1

They attempted to launch a sounding rocket in December 2015, targeting 102 km altitude, but the flight failed after 2.5 seconds.

Quite unlikely they'd be anywhere near what they promised in 2020.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #6 on:** 10/19/2017 03:38 pm »

Quote

ChinaSpaceflight‏ @cnspaceflight

10月19日，翎客航天进行了多次悬停飞行试验

Translated from Chinese by Bing

On October 19, ling's space was repeatedly hovering flight tests

https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/921014571057405952

Comga · « **Reply #7 on:** 10/28/2017 05:02 am »

Interesting, but they will have quite the challenge scaling everything down to a 33 ton vehicle.
With only four engines they have to throttle to about half of the percentage that SpaceX throttles the Merlin, and Merlin throttles pretty deeply. That means they will have to make some kind of adjustment to one or more of its engines, like dynamically changing its expansion ratio, all while possibly having to operate off-center.
Then they have to shrink some kind of thruster system, and the grid fins and actuators, which they appear to have copied faithfully like the legs, and the engine restart system.
Everything that doesn't scale, like the avionics and communications, becomes proportionately larger.
The illustration gives no clue about where the first stage lands, pad or ship, and doesn't explicitly show an entry burn, which may be the key to the SpaceX booster recovery.
Maybe we will see in time.
Maybe

hkultala · « **Reply #8 on:** 10/28/2017 05:10 am »

Quote from: Comga on 10/28/2017 05:02 am

Interesting, but they will have quite the challenge scaling everything down to a 33 ton vehicle.
With only four engines they have to throttle to about half of the percentage that SpaceX throttles the Merlin, and Merlin throttles pretty deeply. That means they will have to make some kind of adjustment to one or more of its engines, like dynamically changing its expansion ratio, all while possibly having to operate off-center.
Then they have to shrink some kind of thruster system, and the grid fins and actuators, which they appear to have copied faithfully like the legs, and the engine restart system.
Everything that doesn't scale, like the avionics and communications, becomes proportionately larger.

When they have worse mass fraction than F9 first stage, they don't have to throttle so deeply.

F9 first stage has very high propellant fraction.

SmallKing · « **Reply #9 on:** 11/12/2017 03:07 am »

Darkseraph · « **Reply #10 on:** 01/02/2018 07:40 pm »

Tweet with video

Quote

"Chinese private rocket company @Linkspace_China recently performed a hover test, with accuracy of 0.05m. They are developing the NewLine-1 two-stage, RP1-LOX reusable rocket (~200 kg of micro & nanosats to 500 km SSO). Aiming to debut rocket in 2020."]"Chinese private rocket company @Linkspace_China recently performed a hover test, with accuracy of 0.05m. They are developing the NewLine-1 two-stage, RP1-LOX reusable rocket (~200 kg of micro & nanosats to 500 km SSO). Aiming to debut rocket in 2020."

Darkseraph · « **Reply #11 on:** 01/04/2018 02:29 pm »

"Can you believe it? This is a rocket hover flight test controlled by machine learning! "

Latest video from Linkspace of their controlled hover test.

January 9th: New VTVL test!

This is very reminiscent of early work done by Masten and Armadillo. Linkspace appears to be progressing rapidly.

SmallKing · « **Reply #12 on:** 01/27/2018 04:00 am »

NL-1 PDR completed
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s?__biz=MzI4NTg5MjkwMA==&mid=2247484014&idx=1&sn=51cc3459058bab7f98ce7a618bc37cd4&chksm=ebe40a25dc938333f9a18a6b7aa78f162f9fdf554eecfc7f4c5f042ae0ab4e8c74c79389e396&mpshare=1&scene=23&srcid=0126phW4MisaHYLiTyR6b40l#rd

Kryten · « **Reply #13 on:** 01/27/2018 09:22 pm »

Quote

Linkspace‏
@Linkspace_China
@Linkspace_China
More
A new VTVL technology test rocket(RLV-T2), better structure and collapsible landing legs

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #14 on:** 01/31/2018 10:33 am »

Quote

Chinese space company Linkspace takes step towards resuable rocket with landing test
by Andrew Jones Jan 31, 2018 12:52

Chinese private space company Linkspace has taken a step in its development of a resuable orbital rocket with a successful vertical takeoff, vertical landing (VTVL) test.

https://gbtimes.com/chinese-space-company-linkspace-takes-step-towards-resuable-rocket-with-landing-test

Test is reminiscent of lunar lander challenge; video attached.

zhangmdev · « **Reply #15 on:** 01/31/2018 02:42 pm »

They have run this kind of tests for hundreds of times. Why are they still playing with this? Less than 3 years before the first orbital flight attempt, almost nothing is known about the engine will be used. They should be feeling urgent to qualify those engines. After all, tweaking control law for hovering and vertical landing does nothing to help achieving orbit.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #16 on:** 02/02/2018 08:26 am »

Quote

A new VTVL technology test rocket(RLV-T2), better structure and collapsible landing legs.

https://twitter.com/linkspace_china/status/956900773777960961

Darkseraph · « **Reply #17 on:** 02/08/2018 09:43 pm »

Linkspace untethered hover test video

Seems they are progressing rapidly though their test campaign. The booster is also mounted on an elevated platform with hole in the center to prevent the flame impinging on the base of the vehicle. With enough accuracy this could form the basis of cradle landing later on, ditching the weight of the legs. As noted in the tweet, future tests will perform higher hops.

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #18 on:** 03/09/2018 06:01 pm »

Quote

Thank you Bryce Space Tech. Our launch vehicle NewLine-1 and VTVL rocket were included in The Annual Compendium of Commercial Space Transportation: 2018.

https://twitter.com/linkspace_china/status/972168301706059776

Quote

China-based @Linkspace_China, founded in 2014, is developing a two-stage, small orbital launch vehicle called New Line 1 (Xin Gan Xian 1) with a reusable first stage: brycetech.com/downloads/FAA_… #space #launch #FAASpace @FAANews

https://twitter.com/brycespacetech/status/972116889047625730?s=21

FutureSpaceTourist · « **Reply #19 on:** 04/28/2018 06:42 am »

Quote

This is the NewLine-1 reusable configuration! Meanwhile, please look forward to this year's reusable suborbital rocket.

https://twitter.com/linkspace_china/status/990080010567471104