Chinese Space Program

[cattalonX]

我国载人月球车研制方案初选结果公布 清华大学牵头的方案入选-清华大学

2023年10月25日，中国载人航天工程办公室发布了载人月球车研制方案征集初选结果。由清华大学牵头的研制方案“望舒之辇”入选。

www.tsinghua.edu.cn

Tsinghua University's manned lunar rover
But why Apollo？
hope to see other teams soon

 

[Deino]

Impressive first flight ...

iSpace VTVL test footage https://t.co/JhU6paLD0i pic.twitter.com/VBnOArH1dD

— Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) November 2, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1720023891945632102

 

[Flyaway]

🚀New generation crew carrier rocket (reusable version) patent design revealed. Looks like the reusable version has eliminated the tail fins. Source: https://t.co/flvjS9q8ED pic.twitter.com/b3qhIJlBFX

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) October 14, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/cnsawatcher/status/1713087503350030541

New generation crew carrier rocket (reusable version) patent design revealed. Looks like the reusable version has eliminated the tail fins. Source: buff.ly/3txjNOS

🔥 CASIC ExPace completed a 200s hot fire test of their reusable 70t-thrust MingFeng-2 metholox engine. The previously tested MingFeng-1 is smaller and provides 100kN thrust.https://t.co/PnkJEa4Vto https://t.co/gMcAhFIVwv pic.twitter.com/lKhmZtW6jU

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) November 4, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1720689271366160861

CASIC ExPace completed a 200s hot fire test of their reusable 70t-thrust MingFeng-2 metholox engine. The previously tested MingFeng-1 is smaller and provides 100kN thrust.
mp.weixin.qq.com/s/VsjyLbhV_rhX…

SAST showcases the Long March 6C model at IAC2023 https://t.co/oBeXg8hBCJ pic.twitter.com/Cc7IAj2GIk

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) October 7, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/cnspaceflight/status/1710775404204810263

SAST showcases the Long March 6C model at IAC2023

 

[publiusr]

Hard landing

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLvfrxL3YGA

 

[Michel Van]

LandSpace announced its new version of Zhuque-3 stainless steel reusable rocket.
LEO 20t expanable，16.5t recovery under trajectory, 11t return to the pad.
via https://t.co/Sk4DrCRv6t pic.twitter.com/eVHmYTXieU

— Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) November 21, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1726811417653960727

 

[Flyaway]

The launch of the Xuntian Space Telescope has been delayed until NET mid 2025.

China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope

The Xuntian Space Telescope is China’s entry in a global race to unlock the secrets of dark energy, and it will now lift off no earlier than mid-2025

www.scientificamerican.com

 

[snne]

The launch of the Xuntian Space Telescope has been delayed until NET mid 2025.

China Delays Launch of Its Xuntian Space Telescope

The Xuntian Space Telescope is China’s entry in a global race to unlock the secrets of dark energy, and it will now lift off no earlier than mid-2025

www.scientificamerican.com

Afaik it was supposed to be launched this year. I mean the last I checked, everything was either already ready or was getting there. What happened?

 

[Flyaway]

The case of the mysterious moon crash is now conclusively closed, a new study reports.

…

The mystery involved the identity of the impactor, which astronomers designated WE0913A. Initial observations suggested it might be the upper stage of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that launched the Earth-observing DSCOVR satellite in February 2015. But, after further work, astronomers soon settled on a different candidate: The third and uppermost stage of the Long March 3C rocket that lofted China's uncrewed Chang'e 5-T1 mission around the moon in October 2014.

…

The new study also sheds further light on the distinctive crater that resulted from the March 2022 moon crash.

…

The most plausible explanation for this behavior, team members said, is a dumbbell-like object — one with considerable mass at each end.

Rogue rocket that slammed into the moon last year confirmed to be Chinese vehicle

It was part of the Long March 3C that launched the Chang'e 5-T1 mission in 2014, a new study finds.

www.space.com

Related paper:

ShieldSquare Captcha

 

[bobbymike]

Any resemblance is purely coincidental

China makes progress on Raptor-like engines for super heavy rocket

China makes progress on Raptor-like engines for super heavy rocket China is progressing with a program to develop full-flow staged-combustion-cycle methane engines to power its reusable Long March 9 super heavy-lift launcher.

spacenews.com

 

[cattalonX]

太空影像志_中国载人航天官方网站

CSS image from Shenzhou 16

 

[publiusr]

I see they suffered a pad explosion

Rocket Report: A mysterious explosion in China; Firefly tests new engine

Firefly Aerospace has announced a major milestone for its new medium-lift rocket.

arstechnica.com

 

[martinbayer]

I see they suffered a pad explosion

[Sh]it happens.

 

[publiusr]

I’ll give them this—they love their rockets.

While Elon was forced to play death metal to seals on boards, China enjoys the world’s largest vape experience:

SpaceX Fans: you wouldn’t believe how close I got to the Starship launch!

Chinese Space Enjoyers: I could literally taste the hypergolic fuel pic.twitter.com/MXPI68hXyR

— Chris Combs (iterative design enjoyer) (@DrChrisCombs) November 30, 2023

Smells like…victory
View: https://twitter.com/DrChrisCombs/status/1730271900209741885/mediaViewer?currentTweet=1730271900209741885&currentTweetUser=DrChrisCombs


Hey F&A!

 

[TheKutKu]

It turns out that Orienspace has real flight hardware ready to launch in the upcoming weeks to months, let's see how it does.

Gravity- 1 Y1 finished assembly. target to launch in this month pic.twitter.com/qAI5TNLQUy

— Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) December 6, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1732382717873176958



A 400t launcher developped in 3.5 years since the company's founding.

 

[TheKutKu]

Liftoff at ~23:39UTC on December 08, LANDSPACE’s Zhuque-2 Y3 launched 3 satellites: HongHu, TianYi-33 and HongHu-2, from Jiuquan, this is the first operational launch of this launcher after last July's maiden launch, and the first methane-powered rocket to deploy payloads,





Long March 5 Y6 with 18.5m long fairing has been rolled out to launch pad at Wenchang for launch planned for December 15

 

[Michel Van]

Ispace made another test

It appears iSpace has performed another hop test at Jiuquan. ~350 metres this time (was expecting ~1 km level). We could see Landspace hopping around soon too, so things are really taking off (and landing) with China's commercial launch firms. https://t.co/lf1M6XliPo https://t.co/yED3o4j2xe pic.twitter.com/9133e2rmrb

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) December 10, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1733794847905988759

 

[Michel Van]

I've seen this rocket before, do not know where...at KSC perhaps ?

Following 3 launch failures of Hyperbola-1 in a roll & ground system issues that forced the abortion of SQX-2Y hop test initially planned in 2022, i-Space decided to halt development of Hyperbola-2 & put all resources on developing Hyperbola-3 with 100t metholox engine JiaoDian-2 https://t.co/0hz8Fj2Gjf pic.twitter.com/35RLEwLxGZ

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) December 13, 2023

View: https://publish.twitter.com/?url=https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1735005443137884414

 

[publiusr]

Seems familiar....Kistler?
[SLAP] AUGH!

 

[TheKutKu]

http://finance.people.com.cn/n1/2023/1214/c1004-40139219.html

Succesful (3rd) launch of the Chinese Reusable Spacecraft.




ORIENSPACE has completed ship transfer rehearsal of their first Gravity-1 launcher. This was the last rehearsal before launch, now planned for December 20th

 

[Deino]

Liftoff at ~23:39UTC on December 08, LANDSPACE’s Zhuque-2 Y3 launched 3 satellites: HongHu, TianYi-33 and HongHu-2, from Jiuquan, this is the first operational launch of this launcher after last July's maiden launch, and the first methane-powered rocket to deploy payloads,

View attachment 713822
View attachment 713821
View attachment 713819
View attachment 713820
Long March 5 Y6 with 18.5m long fairing has been rolled out to launch pad at Wenchang for launch planned for December 15

Any info on its mission and/or payload?

Long March-5 Yao 6 carrier rocket in fueling. pic.twitter.com/n65FPWL7di

— ᯅ̈?! (@dsshhh114) December 15, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1735651819467034670

 

[Deino]

Just launched this moment

Official announcement: 🚀 Long March 5 Y6 launched Yaogan-41 at ~13:41UTC https://t.co/8iE7RYWp5O pic.twitter.com/7vavobpYP0

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) December 15, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1735670332940243307

 

[jsport]

Chinese Spacecraft Emitting Strong Signal Over North America

Amateur astronomer and satellite tracker Scott Tilley says China's top-secret spaceplane is emitting strong signals over North America.

futurism.com

 

[Flyaway]

Chinese Spacecraft Emitting Strong Signal Over North America

Amateur astronomer and satellite tracker Scott Tilley says China's top-secret spaceplane is emitting strong signals over North America.

futurism.com

Other than the fact that Shenlong is a completely different project and nothing to do with the spaceplane they mean which I don’t believe has a publicly acknowledged name.

 

[Flyaway]

Tianwen-4, launching Sept 2029, will journey to Jupiter using Venus & Earth gravity assists. Targeting Jupiter capture by Dec 2035 & a Uranus flyby in March 2045, the mission includes 2 probes, one exploring Jupiter's system and another flying by Uranus. https://t.co/Z7bdf3MFc7 pic.twitter.com/78iepSj6PW

— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) December 23, 2023

View: https://twitter.com/cnsawatcher/status/1738469749179171088

Tianwen-4, launching Sept 2029, will journey to Jupiter using Venus & Earth gravity assists. Targeting Jupiter capture by Dec 2035 & a Uranus flyby in March 2045, the mission includes 2 probes, one exploring Jupiter's system and another flying by Uranus. buff.ly/48ygw13

 

[Flyaway]

Einstein Probe lifts off on a mission to monitor the X-ray sky

https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/...fts_off_on_a_mission_to_monitor_the_X-ray_sky

 

[Michel Van]

launch of OrienSpace's Gravity-1
seems its a success

Waring Loud rocket engines

BEST VIDEO of the first OrienSpace's Gravity-1.
-Sea launch.
-Only uses solid-propellant rockets.
-6.5 tons to LEO. pic.twitter.com/m0cQG4LwIG

— See You On Mars (@SeeYouOnMars_) January 11, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/NosVemosEnM4rte/status/1745412698131612123

Drone view of the launch. via https://t.co/e7GcfPHaji pic.twitter.com/Pu4b623jOz

— Ace of Razgriz (@raz_liu) January 11, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/raz_liu/status/1745328012806222183

 

[snne]

https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1745733373392216103?s=20

 

[publiusr]

An all solid, near R-7 equivalent launched from a ship....for years I have seen artists conceptions of LVs lifting off carriers and such...and it took China to do it.

 

[snne]

https://x.com/CNSAWatcher/status/1745733373392216103?s=20

This released video shows more about assembling Gravity-1 rocket. Boosters were transported horizontally to the tall assembly building at Haiyang port. An erector, independent from the launch pad, erects the heavy boosters & then they were lifted to and stacked at the launch pad. https://t.co/0mHyugjRwL pic.twitter.com/INAwKavuvP

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) January 12, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1745851841123156049?s=20

 

[Byeman]

An all solid, near R-7 equivalent launched from a ship....for years I have seen artists conceptions of LVs lifting off carriers and such...and it took China to do it.

Ah, no.
a. Why do you see things from a Russian POV? This isn't like the R-7. The core does not burn with the boosters. It is more like the Titan with 4 SRMs

b. A V-2 was launched from a carrier in 1947

 

[TheKutKu]

Shtil and Volna were launched from submarines in the 90s and 2000s, CZ-11 has recently been launched from Ships; Zenit was on Odyssey, a self propelled platform. Ceres-1, CZ-11 and Jielong 3 have also launched on towed platforms iirc.

 

[Byeman]

Shtil and Volna were launched from submarines in the 90s and 2000s, CZ-11 has recently been launched from Ships; Zenit was on Odyssey, a self propelled platform. Ceres-1, CZ-11 and Jielong 3 have also launched on towed platforms iirc.

He said carrier, so I didn't bother with Sealaunch the most obvious.

 

[TheKutKu]

As of the latest news, it looks like the SAST's 3.8m diameter Kerolox launcher (sometime called XLV these past months) has received the name "Long March 12", its maiden launch will be the inaugural launch of Wenchang Commercial Space Center Pad 2 in June according to the official bulletin of the space center.

Here is a recap of its capabilities as of 2020.

 

[TheKutKu]

Tianzhou-7 docked at Tiangong space station at 1746 UTChttps://t.co/vX95RxeS79 pic.twitter.com/I2rn8sy4Hs

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) January 17, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1747687344382116145


Tianzhou 7 launched and docked to Tiangong

China’s Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket

China’s Landspace conducts first VTVL test for reusable stainless steel rocket Chinese launch startup Landspace executed a first vertical takeoff, vertical landing with a test article Friday at a launch and recovery site at Jiuquan spaceport.

spacenews.com

🚀 LANDSPACE made first hop test of a stage prototype of Zhuque-3 powered by ZQ-12A at ~08:00UTC. Stainless steel and methane.
60s flight
350m high
10km flight test coming up next https://t.co/2nEPPCslsb pic.twitter.com/2NLviHq2Fc

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) January 19, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1748332381839471076

 

[publiusr]

Here is their big methalox engine

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VpfqZPVxi74&embeds_referring_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fforum.nasaspaceflight.com%2F&source_ve_path=OTY3MTQ&feature=emb_imp_woyt

 

[Flyaway]

A logo for the upcoming Chang'e-6 lunar far side sample return mission appears in a CCTV report. https://t.co/txRsXwrv74 pic.twitter.com/TLUTyDyPKQ

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) February 12, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/aj_fi/status/1756938593673572698

A logo for the upcoming Chang'e-6 lunar far side sample return mission appears in a CCTV report. weibo.com/tv/show/1034:5…

View: https://youtu.be/9qLvdylUKP8

 

[Michel Van]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

CNSA slide on China's plans for a heavy-lift launcher. To be developed in stages, starting with first stage reusability, progressing to fully reusable and forming basis of a "round trip transportation system." pic.twitter.com/fux66yKWK8

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) February 21, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

 

[TheKutKu]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

CNSA slide on China's plans for a heavy-lift launcher. To be developed in stages, starting with first stage reusability, progressing to fully reusable and forming basis of a "round trip transportation system." pic.twitter.com/fux66yKWK8

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) February 21, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

Starting with 1st stage reuse and development is definitely a good choice

 

[Hanse]

This new design remind me of some thing, but what ?

CNSA slide on China's plans for a heavy-lift launcher. To be developed in stages, starting with first stage reusability, progressing to fully reusable and forming basis of a "round trip transportation system." pic.twitter.com/fux66yKWK8

— Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) February 21, 2024

View: https://twitter.com/AJ_FI/status/1760237284102746201

Pure coincidence.

 

[snne]

CMSA announces that the new crewed spacecraft and lunar lander are named MengZhou 梦舟 and LanYue 揽月https://t.co/X2UpjMzj51 https://t.co/1pXklCJkPK pic.twitter.com/PWCacdgH1F

— China 'N Asia Spaceflight 🚀𝕏 🛰️ (@CNSpaceflight) February 24, 2024

View: https://x.com/CNSpaceflight/status/1761222735571943732?s=20