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China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the third time on Thursday, keeping the mission strictly secret. According to Chinese state media Xinhua, the Long March 2F rocket
China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the third time on Thursday, keeping the mission strictly secret. According to Chinese state media Xinhua, the Long March 2F rocket took off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert on December 14 and sent a “reusable test spacecraft” into low Earth orbit.
Airspace closure reports list the launch time as 10 a.m. Eastern Time (3 p.m. UTC), but a time was not specified in a report released within an hour of the expected launch. The test spacecraft “will operate in orbit for a period of time” before returning to its planned landing site in China, the brief report said.
“During this period, validation of reusable technologies and space science experiments will continue as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” the report said, according to machine translation.
The difference between the first and second spacecraft missions, which will be launched in 2020 and 2022 respectively, was one year and 11 months. The third launch came just seven months after the spacecraft returned to Earth after its second 276-day mission. The shorter time between missions shows that the spacecraft’s developer, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), is making progress on issues related to the spacecraft’s reusability.
China has not disclosed details of its experimental reusable spacecraft project. No images of either launch were released. The alleged spaceplane was launched vertically by a Long March 2F, the rocket used to launch China’s manned missions to Shenzhou.
The launch vehicle payload is just over eight metric tons in low Earth orbit. This suggests that the spacecraft may be somewhat similar in size and functionality to the US Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane. This idea is supported by clear images of payload fairing debris collected during the second launch and posted on the Sina Weibo social media site. The images provide possible clues about the spacecraft’s size and shape.
The fairing of the CZ2F rocket that launched CSSHQ on August 5 is openly displayed at Henan Jiyuan No.1 middle school. If the humps are spare areas for the wings, the wingspan of the CSSHQ can be larger than the diameter of the fairing (4.2 m). HD: https://t.co/aPZ6MvDdZq Credit: TikTok Douyin@hnsjydyzx pic.twitter.com/6i3mXPvFLe
— CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) 14 August 2022
Previous missions have involved placing satellites into orbit and may have included scientific and other experiments as well. The spacecraft also performed numerous smaller and much larger orbital maneuvers during its second flight. The third flight will likely be on a different scale and will aim to further test the spacecraft’s capabilities.
A reusable spacecraft could have an orbital segment that would operate in conjunction with a reusable suborbital first stage. The reusable suborbital spacecraft was first tested in 2021. The second mission was launched in August 2022. Suborbital vehicles use vertical takeoff and horizontal landing.
CASC had previously announced plans to develop a fully reusable two-stage orbital transport system (TSTO). Last year, the CASC spaceplane project received national funding from the Natural Science Foundation of China.
The United States began fielding the reusable X-37B in 2010. It plans to launch its seventh mission aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket later this month. The launch was recently postponed. The mission will test new orbital modes, experiment with space technologies, and investigate the effects of radiation on NASA-supplied materials.
China’s X-37B and Boeing projects may be an example of the broader space situation, despite uncertainty around their respective intentions and capabilities.
“Based on the little information we have, I think Shenlong [китайський космічний літак] and the X-37B likely performs many of the same missions,” he told SpaceNews. Brian Weeden, Program Planning Director, Secure World Foundation. “So, it is primarily used for trial and testing of new technologies, sensors and possibly even operational applications.
“I think both programs reflect the current relationship between the United States and China,” Weeden says. “Each sees the other’s secret spaceplane program as a potential threat and destabilizing weapon, while insisting that their own programs are important but harmless.”
“To me, this is a sign that we are at the center of a security dilemma in space; actions taken by both sides to strengthen their own security increase the instability of the overall relationship.”
| Mission | launch date | Boarding date | Duration | Time since previous mission | start site | landing site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task 1 | September 4, 2020 | September 6, 2020 | 2 days | None | Jiuquan Cosmodrome | Lop Nur air base |
| Mission 2 | 4 August 2022 | May 8, 2023 | ~276 days | 1 year 11 months | Jiuquan Cosmodrome | Lop Nur air base |
| Task 3 | December 14, 2023 | None | None | 7 months, 6 days | Jiuquan Cosmodrome | None |
Mission information of China’s experimental reusable spacecraft. The development of reusable spacecraft technology is part of China’s broader strategy to become a major space power. Chinese President Xi Jinping has set a national goal for China to become a strong aviation nation. Xi also noted that the space industry is a critical element of the overall national strategy.
The defense and space contractor’s sister giant CASIC is working on its own TSTO spaceplane called Tengyun. Chinese commercial company Space Transport has raised more than $46.3 million in 2021 for plans to build a hypersonic space plane. The company announced last year that it planned to conduct space tourism test flights in 2025.
In recent years, China has been trying to increase its flexibility and range of access to space. In 2014, the government allowed private capital to enter the space sector to support the development of the commercial space sector. Commercial launch companies now operate a range of solid and liquid launch vehicles. Jump tests are currently taking place in Jiuquan as companies work to improve the capabilities of reusable rockets.
Meanwhile, CASC is developing a heavy-duty, reusable launch vehicle called the Long March 9. Designed to launch a crew and deliver astronauts to the Moon, Long March 10 will have a potentially reusable first stage. Source
Source: Port Altele
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