Well there aren't any post here yet about the new Chinese upper stage, so here's one....
An "advanced upper stage" for BLEO launches has been considered by the Chinese for years already (as seen by various models shown in aerospace exhibitions over the last few years), but it seems that an operational one is finally close to enter service. Named
Yuanzheng-1 ("expedition"), it turns out not to be the advanced RP-1/H2O2 upper stage once reported, but is of a more conventional design armed with a small thrust 6.5 kN engine burning UDMH/N2O4 with specific impulse at 3092 ms^-1 (for comparison, the S5.92 engine used on the Fregat upper stage has a full thrust of over 19 kN with specific impulse at 3207 ms^-1). The upper stage should be able to do 2 burns and has a 6.5 hour lifetime. It will be adapted for use on the CZ-3A/B/C series mainly for direct MEO/GEO insertion missions (mostly for the navigation satellites of the Beidou GNSS).
As reported today, the first flight of YZ-1 will occur later this year, perhaps on the launch of the first "Block II" Beidou navigation satellites, set to fly in October on a CZ-3C. Apparently a similar (larger?) upper stage named YZ-2 can be used on the CZ-5 series later on.
Additional information will be added here if available.
Main source
A Chinese paper about the various Chinese solid/liquid upper stages:
So, what makes it a "space tug" ?
So what exactly was it ? A Chinese Fregat ? Is it still launching this year ?
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141109000072&cid=1101http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/node27118/node27818/u22ai78351.htmlShanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has developed an upper-stage rocket which can send multiple satellites into different orbits.
The new rocket technology is shown at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition which opened in Zhuhai yesterday.
Upper-stage rockets can be mounted on carrier rockets such as CZ-2D and CZ4B to deploy satellites in orbits 200 to 2,000 kilometer from the earth.
The new rocket can be used to capture defunct satellites and send them into the so-called graveyard orbits.
Found some pictures of a model that apparently was shown on
defense.pk forums.
So what exactly was it ? A Chinese Fregat ? Is it still launching this year ?
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141109000072&cid=1101
http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/node27118/node27818/u22ai78351.html
Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has developed an upper-stage rocket which can send multiple satellites into different orbits.
The new rocket technology is shown at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition which opened in Zhuhai yesterday.
Upper-stage rockets can be mounted on carrier rockets such as CZ-2D and CZ4B to deploy satellites in orbits 200 to 2,000 kilometer from the earth.
The new rocket can be used to capture defunct satellites and send them into the so-called graveyard orbits.
Found some pictures of a model that apparently was shown on defense.pk forums.
To add. Fregat like upper stage is now also available for use on China's new generation rockets such as CZ-5 et cetera.
Bump since its first flight should happen late this month (
see this thread for details).
So what exactly was it ? A Chinese Fregat ? Is it still launching this year ?
http://www.wantchinatimes.com/news-subclass-cnt.aspx?id=20141109000072&cid=1101
http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/node27118/node27818/u22ai78351.html
Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology has developed an upper-stage rocket which can send multiple satellites into different orbits.
The new rocket technology is shown at the China International Aviation & Aerospace Exhibition which opened in Zhuhai yesterday.
Upper-stage rockets can be mounted on carrier rockets such as CZ-2D and CZ4B to deploy satellites in orbits 200 to 2,000 kilometer from the earth.
The new rocket can be used to capture defunct satellites and send them into the so-called graveyard orbits.
Found some pictures of a model that apparently was shown on defense.pk forums.
Alas, this is not YZ-1 (built by China's leading rocket producer CALT in Beijing), but rather a competing design from Shanghai's SAST. YZ-1/2 should look rather similar though.
So, what makes it a "space tug" ?
Because it is a "Chinese Fregat".
Any info regarding this 'YZ-1/2'?
Any info regarding this 'YZ-1/2'?
OK let me make it clear: YZ-1 is the one about to launch and it will be used with the CZ-3 series. YZ-2 seems to be a larger version for CZ-5 launches (baseline mission is probably a quadruple BDS navigation satellite launch).
For whatever it is to qualify as a "space tug" it must have the ability to be reused in orbit; the ability to fire up its rocket motors (or thrusters) on command repeatedly and hopefully reliably. And finally, it must have the ability to dock/linkup with an independently orbiting payload or hardware to boost or "tug" it to a different orbit or to change its orbital parameters as required.
An upper-stage booster that is attached to its payload from launch does not qualify.
This is a promising development, if China indeed has developed a genuine space tug.
For whatever it is to qualify as a "space tug" it must have the ability to be reused in orbit; the ability to fire up its rocket motors (or thrusters) on command repeatedly and hopefully reliably. And finally, it must have the ability to dock/linkup with an independently orbiting payload or hardware to boost or "tug" it to a different orbit or to change its orbital parameters as required.
An upper-stage booster that is attached to its payload from launch does not qualify.
This is a promising development, if China indeed has developed a genuine space tug.
This is not a 'tug' in typical context so don't read too much into it. The Russians call their multiple-start upper stages space tugs, and YZ-1 is loosely a Chinese equivalent of Fregat hence the naming.
I thought so.
Wrote a comment on the article pointing out the improbability of the author's assertion. We'll see if there's a retraction.
This article claims it's a mini-spaceplane, which I rather doubt given the size of the payload shroud.
The date of the article is April 1st... just in case that factors into the believability of it.
This article claims it's a mini-spaceplane, which I rather doubt given the size of the payload shroud.
The date of the article is April 1st... just in case that factors into the believability of it.
(facepalms)
They got me again. And I just got through reminding myself earlier to watch out for this sort of stuff.
--Damon
This article claims it's a mini-spaceplane, which I rather doubt given the size of the payload shroud.
The date of the article is April 1st... just in case that factors into the believability of it.
The date of the Spaceflight Insider article is March 31. The article is based upon the "Want China Times," which I have been informed is a low-reliability news site.
So it appears that Spaceflight Insider used a bad source, not that this is a joke.
Any non-humor website that posts a joke article on April 1 is not a serious site.
Apparently per this source the engine on YZ-1 is called the "YF-50D".
And from
this post it would seem somewhat related to the small solid long march LV (long march 11?). May be, the whole YZ-1 is related to it. But seeing the difference between the YF-75 (gas generator) with the YF-75D (expander). The difference between the YF-50 and YF50D might be significant. At least they have now disclosed the name.
I do wonder, what doe the Chinese space fans talk about with so little information?
