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#260 by Phillip Clark on 23 Jun, 2017 09:23
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I am wondering whether the undocking, three months of free flight and then redocking might be rehearsing the procedures for servicing the unmanned Xuntian space telescope?
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#261 by Phillip Clark on 23 Jun, 2017 22:14
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Extracted from a paper that I am working on:
"At some time between June 20-21 the orbit of the docked [Tiangong 2/Tianzhou 1] assembly was raised from 380-393 km to 391-397 km. The actual time of the manoeuvre is not known but the lower orbit was the last one to be catalogued before the second undocking and the higher orbit was the first catalogued after the undocking. The first post-undocking orbit catalogued for Tianzhou 1 was 393-397 km, slightly higher than the Tiangong orbit.
"A reasonable reconstruction of the events is that before the second undocking of the two craft the orbit was raised to 391-397 km and it was in this orbit that the two craft undocked on June 21: after the undocking the orbit of Tianzhou was raised slightly to increase its separation rate from Tiangong. The Chinese have given no indication which craft completed the manoeuvre to the 391-397 km orbit, but it was possibly Tiangong since its propellant supply has so recently been topped up by Tiangzhou."
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#262 by Olaf on 01 Aug, 2017 14:38
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https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/892385887052587008Quote
The Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft today at 07:03 UTC (15:03 Beijing time) released a 3U CubeSat, according to China Manned Space Agency.
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#263 by GELORD on 02 Aug, 2017 10:23
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China's in-orbit cargo spacecraft releases CubeSat
China's Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft on Tuesday successfully released a cube satellite (CubeSat) while in orbit, according to China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASTC).
Signals from the CubeSat were received by ground technicians right after the release, said the CASTC.
The CubeSat was launched inside the Tianzhou-1 from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in south China's Hainan Province on April 20.
After 104 days, the CubeSat was released by the cargo spacecraft.
It was the first time China has released a CubeSat by an in-orbit spacecraft. Traditionally, the CubeSat is released during the launch.
The test release has laid a technical foundation for China's future space station to launch more micro/nano-satellites and provide other in-orbit services.
Like a Rubik's cube, a CubeSat is a satellite composed of smaller cubic units. Depending on its different uses, a CubeSat may contain two, three or more such units.
Compared with other integral satellites, cube spacecraft are generally smaller, lighter and much more economical in development and production costs.
Source:Xinhua Published: 2017/8/2 15:58:13
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#264 by Phillip Clark on 04 Aug, 2017 06:32
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Finally, Silu 1 has been catalogued: 2017-021F/42903.
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#265 by GELORD on 06 Aug, 2017 13:12
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CubeSat "Silk Road-1"
Launch date: April 20, 2017
Source: People's Republic of China (PRC)
Launch site: Wenchang Satellite Launch Center (WSC)
NORAD ID: 42903
Int'l Code: 2017-021F
Perigee: 393.2 km
Apogee: 402.4 km
Inclination: 42.8 °
Period: 92.4 minutes
Semi major axis: 6768 km
RCS: Unknown
Two Line Element Set (TLE):
1 42903U 17021F 17218.05234172 +.00011244 +00000-0 +14521-3 0 9990
2 42903 042.7823 058.7049 0006801 251.2888 251.7445 15.58954910000542
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#266 by Olaf on 12 Sep, 2017 17:40
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https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/907659229967904769Quote
Robot freighter Tianzhou-1 redocked with unoccupied spacelab Tiangong-2 at 1558 UTC Sep 12; vehicles in a 390 x 393 x 42.8 deg orbit.
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#267 by Galactic Penguin SST on 13 Sep, 2017 01:13
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https://twitter.com/planet4589/status/907659229967904769
QuoteRobot freighter Tianzhou-1 redocked with unoccupied spacelab Tiangong-2 at 1558 UTC Sep 12; vehicles in a 390 x 393 x 42.8 deg orbit.
According to Chinese news reports this tested out quick rendezvous profiles similar to what Soyuz is doing right as I type this. The procedures were initated at 09:24 UTC.
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#268 by Lewis007 on 16 Sep, 2017 07:10
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Video of the latest docking
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#269 by SmallKing on 16 Sep, 2017 13:22
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Tianzhou-1 has completed its third propellant refueling testing
http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2017-09/16/c_1121675035.htm -
#270 by SmallKing on 16 Sep, 2017 13:46
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A source said TZ-1 will be reentry next weekend
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#271 by Phillip Clark on 16 Sep, 2017 17:38
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China Daily report of the third docking:
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2017-09/13/content_31929840.htm
And Xinhua:
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/13/c_136604449.htm
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#272 by zubenelgenubi on 16 Sep, 2017 20:32
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A source said TZ-1 will be reentry next weekend
Will NOTAMs be filed? I assume this will be a destructive re-entry? -
#273 by Olaf on 17 Sep, 2017 09:32
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https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/909335188550881280Quote
Tianzhou-1 undocked from Tiangong-2 at 08:15 UTC today, after nearly 5 months of the Tianzhou-1 mission.
https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/909335615149416448QuoteTianzhou-1 is now orbiting 120m behind Tiangong-2, according to CMSA
https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/909336058667692032QuoteCommands for uncoupling were sent at 07:29 UTC / 15:29 Beijing time.
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#274 by Phillip Clark on 17 Sep, 2017 10:09
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Tianzhou-1 has completed its third propellant refueling testing
http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2017-09/16/c_1121675035.htm
The above source states that the propellant transfer was completed at 16:17 Beijing Time while http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/16/c_136614657.htm states that the time orf completion was 8:17 pm = 20:17 Beijing Time.
Is there verification of the correct time available from a third source? -
#275 by SmallKing on 17 Sep, 2017 10:52
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What I see is both webpages show 20:17Tianzhou-1 has completed its third propellant refueling testing
http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2017-09/16/c_1121675035.htm
The above source states that the propellant transfer was completed at 16:17 Beijing Time while http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/16/c_136614657.htm states that the time orf completion was 8:17 pm = 20:17 Beijing Time.
Is there verification of the correct time available from a third source? -
#276 by Phillip Clark on 17 Sep, 2017 11:13
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What I see is both webpages show 20:17Tianzhou-1 has completed its third propellant refueling testing
The above source states that the propellant transfer was completed at 16:17 Beijing Time while http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-09/16/c_136614657.htm states that the time orf completion was 8:17 pm = 20:17 Beijing Time.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/tech/2017-09/16/c_1121675035.htm
Is there verification of the correct time available from a third source?
When I checked yesterday the only time was showing on the first source was 16:17 on the 16th (I have a print out with the translation). Maybe that's the UT time that the story was filed then? Anyway, thank you - 20:17 Beijing Time = 12:17 UT it is then! -
#277 by Star One on 18 Sep, 2017 16:33
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Chinese space station freighter concludes refueling demo missionQuote
Chinese space officials said in a statement that the Tianzhou 1 refueling and resupply craft completed its third transfer of propellant to the Tiangong 2 mini-space station in orbit at 0817 GMT (4:17 a.m. EDT) Saturday, pumping around 550 pounds (250 kilograms) of liquid fuel and oxidizer into the space lab nearly 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth.
The two spacecraft undocked Sunday to continue independent trials, with Tianzhou 1 set to eventually de-orbit and make a guided plunge into Earth’s atmosphere, where it will largely burn up and spread debris over a remote stretch of ocean. Chinese officials have not said when Tianzhou 1 will re-enter the atmosphere.QuoteThe final linkup occurred at 0458 GMT (12:48 a.m. EDT) on Tuesday, Sept. 12, after a simulated fast-track rendezvous profile to check out procedures for future cargo vehicles and crew ferry craft to dock with the Chinese space station as quickly as six hours after liftoff, China’s Manned Space Engineering Office said in a statement.
https://spaceflightnow.com/2017/09/17/chinese-space-station-freighter-concludes-refueling-demo-mission/ -
#278 by Thomas Dorman on 19 Sep, 2017 03:05
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Tianzhou1 and Tiangong 2 this evening at about 1:46UT on 9-19-2017.The Tianzhou1 is running about 1 minute 7second ahead of Tiangong 1. We were trying to run two cameras at once and bump the still image camera the reason for the little V shape in the Tianzhou1 track. Have video of the pass coming later.
Regards Thomas
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#279 by Phillip Clark on 19 Sep, 2017 04:31
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Maybe I am Google searching in the wrong places, but so far I have not found a Chinese - for example, Xinhua - report of the final undocking of Tianzhou 1 from Tiangong 2.