Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft releases object before returning to Earth

[dufus]

 

HELSINKI — A Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft released an unknown object before deorbiting Sunday, ending a secretive two-day mission in low Earth orbit.

 

The spacecraft launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert Thursday atop a Long March 2F rocket. Airspace closure notices issued a day earlier provided the only clue to the timing and nature of the mission.

 

Landing took place as scheduled Sunday according to a terse state media release. Neither images nor details of the ‘reusable experimental spacecraft’ were provided.

 

“The successful flight marked the country’s important breakthrough in reusable spacecraft research and is expected to offer convenient and low-cost round trip transport for the peaceful use of the space,” Xinhua stated. 

 

Somewhat in contrast to the use of ‘peaceful use of space’ to describe the project, the nature of both the mission and spacecraft remain closely guarded. 

 

An additional matter of intrigue is provided by the apparent release of an object into orbit by the spacecraft ahead of its deorbit burn. US space surveillance catalogued the new object, designated NORAD ID 46395 (2020-063G COSPAR ID), assigning it to the Long March 2F launch.

 

The experimental spacecraft orbited in a 331 by 347-kilometer orbit inclined by 50.2 degrees. The new object is in a similarly-inclined 332 by 348-kilometer orbit.

 

Analysts suggest the object was released two orbits before the experimental spacecraft deorbited. No details of the nature of the object have so far been released by China or US space tracking.

 

Chinese crew capsules have previously released ‘Banxing’ small companion satellites for monitoring. An experimental new-generation crew spacecraft released a test inflatable reentry and descent technology module in May.  The experiment suffered an anomaly during reentry. 

 

Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft

 

So far only distant amateur footage of the launch has emerged. Apparent footage shows a payload fairing atop of a Long March 2F rather than an exposed spacecraft. 

 

Earlier statements from China’s main space contractor reveal possibly related projects. Comments in 2017 from Chen Hongbo, an official with China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT), may in particular provide potential clues as to capabilities.

 

Chen stated that reusable spacecraft, expected to have a test flight around 2020, would be capable of carrying both crew and payloads. Chen stated that some vehicles would have the characteristics of both aircraft and spacecraft, suggesting a fixed wing space vehicle.

 

While launching vertically like a traditional rocket, Chen describes a concept in which a second rides on the back of the first stage. Both stages can later land horizontally. Renders of various concepts and project names have previously appeared online.

 

The short duration of the recent mission is consistent with earlier stated goals of testing ‘rapid re-launch and repeated use capabilities’. Several further flights were expected to follow an initial test.

 

The use of the Long March 2F, a crew-rated launch vehicle, suggesting a test of the upper stage only. The launcher can loft a payload of just over 8 metric tons to LEO. 

 

It was the first Long March 2F launch since the crewed Shenzhou-11 mission in 2016. The next flight will launch Shenzhou-12 to the core module of the Chinese Space Station in 2021.

 

Chen says the new space vehicle is designed to be reused more than 20 times. This will initially reduce launch costs to one-fifth of current levels and potentially to one-tenth. The launch cycle of the vehicle will also be greatly shortened. 

 

The Science and Technology Daily article from 2017 carrying Chen’s remarks notes that while the first stage of a Falcon 9 lands vertically and is recovered and reused, the same has not been achieved with the second stage.

 

Other reusable spacecraft or spaceplane projects are under consideration in China. The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. (CASIC), another giant state-owned enterprise, is working on its own spaceplane, named Tengyun.

 

“Unlike rocket recycling adopted by SpaceX, the spaceplane can take off from an ordinary airport to transport spacecraft into  orbit. It will bring about a revolution for the future aerospace transportation,” CASIC’s Zhang Hongwen told CCTV in 2018.

 

Commercial launch company iSpace has also presented renders of a spaceplane concept. The winged vehicle would launch vertically atop of a Hyperbola liquid-propellant rocket.

source

[Karlston]

China celebrates safe landing of secretive spacecraft as ‘important breakthrough’

Little is known about the reusable spacecraft

The spacecraft was launched using a Chinese Long March 2F rocket, seen here in 2016 launching the Tiangong 2 space lab.

Photo: AFP via Getty Images

Chinese state media says the country has safely landed a reusable spacecraft which it claims will provide a “convenient and inexpensive” method of getting to and from space. The craft launched on September 4th and landed on September 6th after spending two days in orbit, according to the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

 

Very little is known about the spacecraft, including even its basic design. There are no picture or renders of the craft, but there have been rumors it is a spaceplane similar to the Air Force’s X-37B. A Chinese military source told the South China Morning Post they could not provide details on the mission but that “maybe you can take a look at the US X-37B.”

 

The X-37B is a spaceplane roughly a quarter the size of America’s Space Shuttle orbiters, a series of spaceplanes that were launched into orbit from rockets between 1981 and 2011, and were able to glide back to Earth and land on runways to be repaired and reused. The X37-B follows the same basic operation but is always uncrewed. The US Air Force describes the X37-B as an “experimental test program” that is being used to demonstrate reusable space technologies.

The uncrewed US Air Force’s X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle sits on a runway after returning from orbit in 2010.

Photo: DoD via Getty Images

The relatively abrupt test of the mysterious Chinese craft may surprise some, but it tracks with the country’s ambitions to create reusable spaceplanes, says Andrew Jones, a freelance journalist who follows China’s space program. Jones told The Verge last week: “There’s lots of interest in China in spaceplanes.” He added: “They’ve said that they’re going to do this, and they seem to be doing it kind of somewhat on schedule.”

 

Whatever the nature of the craft, China is keen to celebrate its return as a scientific milestone. Xinhua described the news as an “important breakthrough,” while a Chinese military source told the South China Morning Post that there were “many firsts in this launch,” which they said explained the secrecy. “The spacecraft is new, the launch method is also different. That’s why we needed to make sure there is extra security,” said the source.

 

 

China celebrates safe landing of secretive spacecraft as ‘important breakthrough’