China Outer Space Science, Technology and Explorations: News & Updates
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NEWS RELEASE 27-NOV-2019
Chinese Academy of Sciences leads discovery of unpredicted stellar black hole
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS
Figure LB-1: Accretion of gas onto a stellar black hole from its blue companion star, through a truncated accretion disk (Artist impression). CREDIT: YU Jingchuan, Beijing Planetarium, 2019.
Our Milky Way Galaxy is estimated to contain 100 million stellar black holes - cosmic bodies formed by the collapse of massive stars and so dense even light can't escape. Until now, scientists had estimated the mass of an individual stellar black hole in our Galaxy at no more than 20 times that of the Sun. But the discovery of a huge black hole by a Chinese-led team of international scientists has toppled that assumption.
The team, headed by Prof. LIU Jifeng of the National Astronomical Observatory of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), spotted a stellar black hole with a mass 70 times greater than the Sun. The monster black hole is located 15 thousand light-years from Earth and has been named LB-1 by the researchers. The discovery is reported in the latest issue of Nature.
The discovery came as a big surprise. "Black holes of such mass should not even exist in our Galaxy, according to most of the current models of stellar evolution," said Prof. LIU. "We thought that very massive stars with the chemical composition typical of our Galaxy must shed most of their gas in powerful stellar winds, as they approach the end of their life. Therefore, they should not leave behind such a massive remnant. LB-1 is twice as massive as what we thought possible. Now theorists will have to take up the challenge of explaining its formation."
Until just a few years ago, stellar black holes could only be discovered when they gobbled up gas from a companion star. This process creates powerful X-ray emissions, detectable from Earth, that reveal the presence of the collapsed object.
The vast majority of stellar black holes in our Galaxy are not engaged in a cosmic banquet, though, and thus don't emit revealing X-rays. As a result, only about two dozen Galactic stellar black holes have been well identified and measured.
To counter this limitation, Prof. LIU and collaborators surveyed the sky with China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), looking for stars that orbit an invisible object, pulled by its gravity.
This observational technique was first proposed by the visionary English scientist John Michell in 1783, but it has only become feasible with recent technological improvements in telescopes and detectors.
Still, such a search is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack: only one star in a thousand may be circling a black hole.
After the initial discovery, the world's largest optical telescopes - Spain's 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the 10-m Keck I telescope in the United States - were used to determine the system's physical parameters. The results were nothing short of fantastic: a star eight times heavier than the Sun was seen orbiting a 70-solar-mass black hole, every 79 days.
The discovery of LB-1 fits nicely with another breakthrough in astrophysics. Recently, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo gravitational wave detectors have begun to catch ripples in spacetime caused by collisions of black holes in distant galaxies. Intriguingly, the black holes involved in such collisions are also much bigger than what was previously considered typical.
The direct sighting of LB-1 proves that this population of over-massive stellar black holes exists even in our own backyard. "This discovery forces us to re-examine our models of how stellar-mass black holes form," said LIGO Director Prof. David Reitze from the University of Florida in the U.S.
"This remarkable result along with the LIGO-Virgo detections of binary black hole collisions during the past four years really points towards a renaissance in our understanding of black hole astrophysics," said Reitze.
Chinese Academy of Sciences leads discovery of unpredicted stellar black hole | EurekAlert! Science News
Chinese Academy of Sciences leads discovery of unpredicted stellar black hole
CHINESE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES HEADQUARTERS
Our Milky Way Galaxy is estimated to contain 100 million stellar black holes - cosmic bodies formed by the collapse of massive stars and so dense even light can't escape. Until now, scientists had estimated the mass of an individual stellar black hole in our Galaxy at no more than 20 times that of the Sun. But the discovery of a huge black hole by a Chinese-led team of international scientists has toppled that assumption.
The team, headed by Prof. LIU Jifeng of the National Astronomical Observatory of China of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NAOC), spotted a stellar black hole with a mass 70 times greater than the Sun. The monster black hole is located 15 thousand light-years from Earth and has been named LB-1 by the researchers. The discovery is reported in the latest issue of Nature.
The discovery came as a big surprise. "Black holes of such mass should not even exist in our Galaxy, according to most of the current models of stellar evolution," said Prof. LIU. "We thought that very massive stars with the chemical composition typical of our Galaxy must shed most of their gas in powerful stellar winds, as they approach the end of their life. Therefore, they should not leave behind such a massive remnant. LB-1 is twice as massive as what we thought possible. Now theorists will have to take up the challenge of explaining its formation."
Until just a few years ago, stellar black holes could only be discovered when they gobbled up gas from a companion star. This process creates powerful X-ray emissions, detectable from Earth, that reveal the presence of the collapsed object.
The vast majority of stellar black holes in our Galaxy are not engaged in a cosmic banquet, though, and thus don't emit revealing X-rays. As a result, only about two dozen Galactic stellar black holes have been well identified and measured.
To counter this limitation, Prof. LIU and collaborators surveyed the sky with China's Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fiber Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST), looking for stars that orbit an invisible object, pulled by its gravity.
This observational technique was first proposed by the visionary English scientist John Michell in 1783, but it has only become feasible with recent technological improvements in telescopes and detectors.
Still, such a search is like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack: only one star in a thousand may be circling a black hole.
After the initial discovery, the world's largest optical telescopes - Spain's 10.4-m Gran Telescopio Canarias and the 10-m Keck I telescope in the United States - were used to determine the system's physical parameters. The results were nothing short of fantastic: a star eight times heavier than the Sun was seen orbiting a 70-solar-mass black hole, every 79 days.
The discovery of LB-1 fits nicely with another breakthrough in astrophysics. Recently, the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) and Virgo gravitational wave detectors have begun to catch ripples in spacetime caused by collisions of black holes in distant galaxies. Intriguingly, the black holes involved in such collisions are also much bigger than what was previously considered typical.
The direct sighting of LB-1 proves that this population of over-massive stellar black holes exists even in our own backyard. "This discovery forces us to re-examine our models of how stellar-mass black holes form," said LIGO Director Prof. David Reitze from the University of Florida in the U.S.
"This remarkable result along with the LIGO-Virgo detections of binary black hole collisions during the past four years really points towards a renaissance in our understanding of black hole astrophysics," said Reitze.
Chinese Academy of Sciences leads discovery of unpredicted stellar black hole | EurekAlert! Science News
Jifeng Liu, Haotong Zhang, Andrew W. Howard, Zhongrui Bai, Youjun Lu, Roberto Soria, Stephen Justham, Xiangdong Li, Zheng Zheng, Tinggui Wang, Krzysztof Belczynski, Jorge Casares, Wei Zhang, Hailong Yuan, Yiqiao Dong, Yajuan Lei, Howard Isaacson, Song Wang, Yu Bai, Yong Shao, Qing Gao, Yilun Wang, Zexi Niu, Kaiming Cui, Chuanjie Zheng, Xiaoyong Mu, Lan Zhang, Wei Wang, Alexander Heger, Zhaoxiang Qi, Shilong Liao, Mario Lattanzi, Wei-Min Gu, Junfeng Wang, Jianfeng Wu, Lijing Shao, Rongfeng Shen, Xiaofeng Wang, Joel Bregman, Rosanne Di Stefano, Qingzhong Liu, Zhanwen Han, Tianmeng Zhang, Huijuan Wang, Juanjuan Ren, Junbo Zhang, Jujia Zhang, Xiaoli Wang, Antonio Cabrera-Lavers, Romano Corradi, Rafael Rebolo, Yongheng Zhao, Gang Zhao, Yaoquan Chu & Xiangqun Cui. A wide star–black-hole binary system from radial-velocity measurements. Nature (2019). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1766-2
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China's first electromagnetic satellite bears fruitful results
Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-30 21:49:32|Editor: mingmei
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's first seismo-electromagnetic satellite Zhangheng 1 has obtained fruitful electromagnetic data, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The satellite has enabled China to obtain a global geomagnetic map and an ionospheric map with its own intellectual property rights.
It has obtained information about global ground artificial sources, magnetic storms and signals of earthquakes above 7 magnitude. It also helps with understanding the coupling mechanisms of the lithosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere.
Shen Xuhui, the chief scientist of the satellite, said China is expected to have three electromagnetic satellites in orbit by 2022, offering support for earthquake forecasting as well as space weather monitoring and warning.
Developed by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. under the CASC, the satellite Zhangheng 1 was launched on Feb. 2, 2018.
The satellite was named after Zhang Heng, a renowned scholar of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), who pioneered earthquake studies by inventing the first-ever seismoscope in the year 132.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-11-30 21:49:32|Editor: mingmei
BEIJING, Nov. 30 (Xinhua) -- China's first seismo-electromagnetic satellite Zhangheng 1 has obtained fruitful electromagnetic data, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The satellite has enabled China to obtain a global geomagnetic map and an ionospheric map with its own intellectual property rights.
It has obtained information about global ground artificial sources, magnetic storms and signals of earthquakes above 7 magnitude. It also helps with understanding the coupling mechanisms of the lithosphere, atmosphere and ionosphere.
Shen Xuhui, the chief scientist of the satellite, said China is expected to have three electromagnetic satellites in orbit by 2022, offering support for earthquake forecasting as well as space weather monitoring and warning.
Developed by DFH Satellite Co., Ltd. under the CASC, the satellite Zhangheng 1 was launched on Feb. 2, 2018.
The satellite was named after Zhang Heng, a renowned scholar of the East Han Dynasty (25-220), who pioneered earthquake studies by inventing the first-ever seismoscope in the year 132.
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China to build space-based solar power station by 2035Scientists envision solar power station in space
By ZHAO LEI | China Daily | Updated: 2019-02-27 07:16
Chinese scientists are exploring the possibility of putting in place a space-based solar power station, a futuristic approach expected to reduce pollution back on Earth and mitigate energy shortfalls.
Xie Gengxin, deputy head of the Chongqing Collaborative Innovation Research Institute for Civil-Military Integration in Southwestern China, said researchers from Chongqing University, the China Academy of Space Technology's Xi'an Branch in Shaanxi province, and Xidian University-also in Xi'an-have begun designs on a testing facility in Chongqing's Bishan district that will be used to test the theoretical viability of a space-based solar power station.
The test facility will occupy 13.3 hectares and demonstrate space transmission technologies while studying the effect of microwaves beamed back to Earth on living organisms. The initial investment of 100 million yuan ($15 million) will be made by the Bishan district government.
Xie added that construction of the base will take one to two years and once it begins operations, scientists and engineers will build tethered balloons equipped with solar panels and use them to verify microwave transmission technologies.
"We plan to launch four to six tethered balloons from the testing base and connect them with each other to set up a network at an altitude of around 1,000 meters," he explained. "These balloons will collect sunlight and convert solar energy to microwave before beaming it back to Earth. Receiving stations on the ground will convert such microwaves to electricity and distribute it to a grid."
If the tests are successful, researchers will launch new tethered balloons to the stratosphere for further tests, he said.
So far, Chinese engineers are able to transmit energy-carrying microwaves over a distance of about just 100 meters, Xie said.
The designer noted that engineers will need to resolve two major technical difficulties-accurate, directed transmission of high-capacity microwaves, and construction of a large space-based power station. He said the size and weight of such a station have yet to be determined because the research is still in a preliminary stage.
"We can use several launches to place components in space and then assemble them into a single station," Xie said.
First proposed in 1968 by Peter Glaser, a late Czech-American scientist and aerospace engineer, the concept of an orbital power plant has been a popular aspiration among spacefaring nations such as the United States and Japan, but has seen little development due to technological and financial hurdles.
Xie said if everything goes well, a Chinese solar power station will be put into orbit about 36,000 kilometers above Earth and start generating power before 2040.
Pang Zhihao, a retired China Academy of Space Technology researcher, said space-based solar power stations are very attractive solutions to pollution and energy shortages.
He explained that a space-based solar power station will be able to collect sunlight around the clock without being affected by factors such as atmosphere and weather. In addition, the power generated in this manner will be pollution-free and limitless, he said, adding this source of energy can also power any spacecraft within its beaming range.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-02 10:04:20|Editor: mingmei
XIAMEN, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China plans to accomplish a 200-tonne megawatt-level space-based solar power station by 2035, according to the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST).
The space-based solar power station would capture the sun's energy that never makes it to the planet, said Wang Li, a CAST research fellow with the program, when attending the sixth China-Russia Engineering Forum held last week in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province.
The energy is converted to microwaves or lasers and then beamed wirelessly back to the Earth's surface for human consumption, Wang said.
"We hope to strengthen international cooperation and make scientific and technological breakthroughs so that humankind can achieve the dream of limitless clean energy at an early date," Wang said.
Compared with traditional fossil energy, which has been increasingly exhausted and is responsible for severe environmental issues, space-based solar power is more efficient and sustainable, providing a reliable power supply solution for satellites and disaster-hit areas or isolated areas on the Earth, Wang said.
The concept of collecting solar power in space was popularized by science fiction author Isaac Asimov in 1941. In 1968, Peter Glaser, an American aerospace engineer, wrote a formal proposal for a solar-based system in space.
China has proposed various sunlight collecting solutions and made a number of major breakthroughs in wireless energy transmission since the country listed space-based solar power as a key research program in 2008.
However, ambition has long been a challenge for current technology because it involves the launch and installation of numerous solar panel modules and the efficient wireless transmission of mega energy.
With an investment of 200 million yuan (28.4 million U.S. dollars), China is building a testing base in Bishan, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, for the research of high-power wireless energy transmission and its impact on the environment.
Researches in this field will spur the country's space science and innovation in emerging industries like commercial space transportations, Wang said.
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China's Long March-8 rocket successfully passes engine test
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-02 19:26:25|Editor: ZX
BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has successfully tested the second stage engine of the Long March-8 rocket, preparing for its maiden flight in 2020, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The hydrogen-oxygen engine worked normally in the test and was shut down after completing all test procedures.
Developed by the CASC, the Long March-8 rocket is a new type of rocket that uses module design and can be prepared in a short time, making it competitive for commercial launch.
The first stage of the Long March-8 rocket is similar to that of the Long March-7 rocket and the second stage rocket is similar to the third stage of the Long March-3A rocket. It has a payload capacity of 5 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit and 2.8 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.
The Long March-8 rocket is being assembled and is estimated to conduct 10 to 20 launches annually after it hits the market.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-02 19:26:25|Editor: ZX
BEIJING, Dec. 2 (Xinhua) -- China has successfully tested the second stage engine of the Long March-8 rocket, preparing for its maiden flight in 2020, according to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).
The hydrogen-oxygen engine worked normally in the test and was shut down after completing all test procedures.
Developed by the CASC, the Long March-8 rocket is a new type of rocket that uses module design and can be prepared in a short time, making it competitive for commercial launch.
The first stage of the Long March-8 rocket is similar to that of the Long March-7 rocket and the second stage rocket is similar to the third stage of the Long March-3A rocket. It has a payload capacity of 5 tonnes to sun-synchronous orbit and 2.8 tonnes to geostationary transfer orbit.
The Long March-8 rocket is being assembled and is estimated to conduct 10 to 20 launches annually after it hits the market.
JSCh
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Chinese private rocket complete the third phase engineChinese rocket start-up aims at ‘SpaceX dominance’
By Huang Ge Source:Global Times Published: 2019/7/9 21:53:40
Private firms inject thrust into country’s space industry: analysts
A multiple counterflow vortex unique configuration gas generator developed by Galactic Energy Photo: Courtesy to Galactic Energy Aerospace Technology Co
Beijing-based private rocket start-up Galactic Energy Aerospace Technology Co has made a breakthrough in its "Pallas" medium liquid-propellant rocket, a step closer to the firm's goal of forging a Chinese version of the Falcon 9 rocket manufactured by US spaceflight company SpaceX.
China's innovative private rocket start-ups have injected new impetus into the domestic space industry, but more efforts are needed for them to catch up with their US counterparts that have been growing for nearly two decades, industry analysts told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The gas generator, which helps provide thrust to the rocket's 40-ton engine that is powered by reusable liquid oxygen and kerosene, has completed seven ignition tests over the weekend, with an accumulated operation time of 380 seconds, according to Galactic Energy. The maximum single operation time lasted 100 seconds.
The company started developing the main rocket engine for the Pallas in December 2018, and it is the first Chinese rocket with engines that run on reusable liquid oxygen and kerosene.
Galactic Energy's products include the Pallas family of medium-sized liquid rockets, named Pallas, and small solid rockets named Ceres.
The Ceres-1 is aimed at the low-orbit commercial small satellite market and is expected to fly in March 2020. The Pallas-1 is expected to launch in December 2022.
Xia Dongkun, co-founder and vice president of Galactic Energy, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the rocket industry has been using the same design since the 1980s, but using proprietary technology, they have updated and developed an entirely new generator.
The firm aims to build a Chinese edition of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket which is propelled by the Merlin family of engines and powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene.
Economies of scale, which mean cheaper launches, are crucial in the commercial space business, Xia said.
"In recent years, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket has kept refreshing people's understanding of the commercial space industry. This enabled it to rapidly dominate the global commercial launch market thanks to its economies of scale," he said.
Galactic Energy is committed to "incorporating space resources into life" and to significantly reducing the cost of space launch services for domestic firms, Xia said, noting that market demand is the vital driving force for innovation in the sector.
Established in February 2018, Galactic Energy primary focus is low-cost commercial space launches and space resources exploitation.
The quick development of start-ups shows increasing vitality and innovative power in the domestic private commercial rocket market, which will boost the country's space industry, Huang Zhicheng, an expert on space technology, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
China's private commercial rocket firms are growing rapidly and seeing solid advances, although there are continuing challenges, analysts said.
The first 80-ton liquid-oxygen methane engine of the private LandSpace rocket, named Tianque, successfully completed trial tests in May.
Meanwhile, the development of China's private aerospace industry is still at an early stage compared with the US sector, Huang said, noting that the US private rocket firms, such as SpaceX that was set up in 2002, have grown into a more mature phase after the growth of many years.
Huang said that he expects Chinese private commercial rocket companies to focus first on technology research and development to bridge the gap with advanced firms in the world.
thermo ground test
2019-12-05 14:02:16 Editor : Li Yan
Chinese private rocket company Galactic Energy has successfully finished the third stage thermo ground test for its Ceres-1 launch vehicle on Tuesday, according to a company statement.
The Ceres-1 rocket, which is the one of the two rockets that the company is currently developing, is expected to launch in March 2020. The Ceres-1 rocket is a low earth orbit (LEO) solid rocket. Its liquid rocket Pallas-1 will be launched in December 2022.
Prior to the third phase test, the phase one and phase two ground firing tests for Ceres-1 have already been completed in September and in early November, the statement said.
Galactic Energy, the Beijing-based budget rocket company is founded in 2018 and aims to provide low-cost, high-frequency access solutions to space trips and transportations. The company has so far successfully completed the firing test of the engine gas generator for its liquid rocket Pallas-1, apart from the thermo ground test for the solid rocket Ceres-1.
JSCh
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Jan Kolář@czechspace
Weiren Wu, Chief Designer of Chang'E-4 mission of CSNA gave an outlook of future Chinese lunar missions Chang'E-5 till Chang'E-8. Late missions are supposed to get up to 70 kg to the lunar surface and open for international payloads at @MoonVillageAssn Workshop.
1:24 PM - Dec 5, 2019
Weiren Wu, Chief Designer of Chang'E-4 mission of CSNA gave an outlook of future Chinese lunar missions Chang'E-5 till Chang'E-8. Late missions are supposed to get up to 70 kg to the lunar surface and open for international payloads at @MoonVillageAssn Workshop.
1:24 PM - Dec 5, 2019
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The Republic Of China (Chinese Taipei) Solid Propellant Satellite Launch Vehicle Program
This is about the lesser known Republic Of China (R.O.C.) Solid Propellant Satellite Launch Vehicle Program, as R.O.C. is part of China (P.R.C.).
2019年01月08日 21:46:00
The Ministry of National Defense has developed a space launch vehicle capable of placing a 50 to 200 kilograms microsatellites into a 500-kilometer SSO orbit, under the code name "Kirin Project" (麒麟專案). It is reported that this year three sets of rocket propulsion vehicles were built. The entire project plans to manufacture six sets of rocket propulsion vehicles. After ground testing, the first flight-test will be carried out smoothly in 2021.
It is reported that starting from this year, after the Kirin project first produced three sets of rocket propulsion vehicles, each for static ground testing works, the entire project plans to manufacture six sets of rocket propulsion vehicles.
After completing the various ground testing, system integration and system testing are carried out.
Because the launch vehicle is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket, each stage separation requires a telemetry and control system. The flight attitude control cannot pilot the rocket after take off. This requires guidance. Technology that is the focus of the "Star Show Project" (星展專案). In addition, due to the weight of the rocket carrier, whether the launch platform of the existing Jiupeng base (九鵬基地) can bear the weight, the Chinese Academy of Sciences will carry out geological exploration to ensure the safety of the launch pad.
https://www.upmedia.mg/news_info.php?SerialNo=55527
▲ 1. Jiupeng base (九鵬基地): Asia's next satellite launch center.
▲ 2. Kirin SLV, similar to the 4 stages solid propellant Indian SLV-3 carrier rocket.
The Kirin SLV is in the same class as Iran's Safir-2 and the North Korean Kwangmyongsong (Unha-4) SLVs. But this launch vehicle is a four-stage solid-fuel rocket.
Of course, unlike with the DPRK and Iran, the double standard that prevails in the application of international laws, also known as Jungle Law, Trump will of course not bring the R.O.C. before the U.N.S.C., but support this project with complacency! Patronizing the ballistic proliferation, and the acquisition by the R.O.C. of 2'000 km medium-range ballistic missile capability.
Sinosphere on steroid lately, and skyrocketing above the stratosphere, after Japan, North and South Korea, now the R.O.C. more and more credible.
After the solid propellant Kirin SLV, another Taiwanese small launcher of the Iranian Safir-2 SLV class.
This time the Hapith-V SLV is an expandable hybrid N2O/SBR launcher, made for 90% of T800-grade carbon fiber composite.
This launcher will deliver up to 390 kg to a low-inclination orbit of 600-700 km. SSO can be envisaged from Australia or Scandinavia.
Taiwanese Company Aims At Launch Costs 10% Of Competitors’
Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
Oct 24, 2019
Bradley Perrett
Hot fire test of Tispace 1-metric-ton-thrust engine: Tispace
A Taiwanese company plans to enter the market for light space launches with what it says will be 10% of the costs of current major operators, thanks to an efficient production setup and use of hybrid solid-liquid propulsion.
Launch of a two-stage demonstrator rocket is scheduled for November, to be followed by monthly launches of larger production rockets in 2021, said Yen-Sen Chen, founder and CEO of the company, Taiwan Innovation Space (Tispace).
At first, each launch by the expendable, three-stage Hapith V production rocket will be priced at $6-7 million, Chen said. This will deliver up to 390 kg (860 lb.) to a low-inclination orbit of 600- 700 km (370-430 mi.). “We have lots of room for a lower price,” Chen added, since costs would be so low.
The initial production facility near Taipei, with a capacity of 12 rockets a year, will be able to achieve the targeted cost of 10% of competitors’, Chen said. But the company is looking for a larger site farther south for a plant that could build 100 rockets a year.
Engines of the Hapith V and the Hapith 1 demonstrator are almost devoid of machinery. Being hybrid, they do not require the elaborate production and handling facilities of potentially explosive solid-propellant motors.
The fuel is a special hard rubber, made in Taiwan. The oxidizer is nitrous oxide fed to the engine by tank pressure, which begins at 6 MPa (870 psi.) at launch, falling to 1 MPa at the time of engine cutoff; there are no turbo pumps.
Tispace has tested engines of various thrust levels. Specific impulse, a measure of propulsion efficiency, will be 270 sec. for the first stage and 301 sec. for the second and third, the company estimates. This is regarded as adequate rather than exceptional, since the most important engine characteristic is simplicity and adaptability to low-cost production.
A contractor will supply the fuel in the single cylindrical block needed for each engine, Chen said. No trimming or other adjustment of shape will be required. Insulation will be placed manually on the fuel blocks, then uncured carbon fiber composite will be laid around them automatically to create the case. The engine will then go into an oven for unpressurized curing of the composite at 90C (190F).
The oxidizer tanks will similarly be made automatically with the same, T800-grade carbon fiber composite. The company chose carbon fiber in preference to the usual aluminum to reduce weight. The company also believes carbon fiber suits low-cost fabrication. About 90% of the Hapith V structure is made of the material.
The engines use commercially available valves and stainless steel piping. Injectors, of proprietary design, will be made with 3D printing.
Attitude control is effected in the first stage by venting nitrous oxide and in the second and third stages by gimballing the engines (that is, the encased rubber blocks).
Chen set up the company in 2016, having previously worked for Taiwan’s National Space Organization. It has 105 employees, he said, speaking on the sidelines of the International Astronautical Congress, held in Washington Oct. 21-25.
The demonstrator is complete and ready for its Nov. 28 launch. It has a weight of 3.04 metric tons and launch thrust of 7.92 metric tons.
The company has begun making the first Hapith V. That 20-m (66-ft.) design has a weight of 35 metric tons and launch thrust of 65 metric tons from five engines. The second stage has four engines and 8 metric tons of thrust; the third has one engine generating 1 metric tons of thrust. Payload to Sun-synchronous orbit is 350 kg.
The company’s launch site is at the southern end of Taiwan, facing the empty Pacific Ocean. With inhabited islands to the north and south, Taiwan is unsuitable for launches to Sun- synchronous orbit, so Tispace is looking at options in Scandinavia. Australia is also a possibility.
Rockets are to be moved to the Taiwanese launch site by truck and to the chosen foreign one by air.
http://web.archive.org/web/20191206224150/https://www.taiwanembassy.org/uslax/post/21945.html
http://archive.is/pR2SN
HAPITH V
is a cost-effective space launch system using cutting-edge, non-explosive hybrid rocket technologies. Our hybrid rocket engines are delivering class-I rocket engine performance that enables fast turnaround space launch services.
PAYLOAD
MICRO AND SMALL SATELLITES TO LOW EARTH ORBIT (LEO) AND SUN-SYNCHRONOUS ORBIT (SSO)
HAPITH V OVERVIEW
MAX. LEO PAYLOAD MASS
390 KG
MAX. SSO PAYLOAD MASS
350 KG
ALTITUDE
600 – 700 KM
HEIGHT
20 M
DIAMETER
2.2 M
STAGES
3
UPPER STAGE
single hybrid rocket engine with gimbaled thrust vector control (TVC) and a cold-gas reaction control system (RCS)
THRUST 10KN
SECOND STAGE
cluster of four hybrid rocket engines with gimbaled thrust vector control (TVC)
THRUST 80KN
FIRST STAGE
cluster of five hybrid rocket engines with liquid-injection vector control (LITVC)
THRUST 650KN
PAYLOAD
The payload fairing of Hapith V is constructed by using lightweight composite honeycomb sandwich structure with ample thermal and environmental protections.
MATERIALS
Hapith V is designed to be constructed using mainly lightweight high strength carbon composite flight structure.
AVIONICS
TiSPACE avionics and GNC flight control subsystem are developed simultaneously such that their performance can be checked and verified through real time simulations with the enhancement of a high precision rate table testing platform.
LELIEN
LELIEN engine is designed based on a high-efficiency N2O/SBR hybrid rocket technology with specially formulated high density and high energy SBR solid grain and N2O injection scheme that gives our propulsion system close to ideal overall thrust performance.
http://archive.ph/WDK6h/bf56dbcadeae9363b52ab7ca505eabe0cbd62fea.png ; https://archive.ph/WDK6h/655ea4fad5777b2b809e6c58b5db183baee72698/scr.png ; http://www.tispace.com/launch.html ; http://archive.ph/OJFSI
▲ 1. HAPITH V SLV
http://www.tispace.com/launch.html
http://archive.ph/OJFSI
▲ 1. TiSPACE Video 2,079 views •Sep 12, 2019
▲ 2. Accomplishment of Vehicle Structural Dynamics Testing 778 views •Sep 17, 2019
▲ 3. High Efficiency Hybrid Rocket Engine 761 views •Oct 17, 2019
We are ready for the first sub orbital launch in late 2019 and the first orbital launch in early 2020.
Our hybrid rocket engines have achieved Class-I propulsion efficiency, including 10,000 N, 20,000 N and 130,000 N thrust levels which can provide dedicated services for small satellites.
▲ 4. Successful S2 Stage level Qualification Hot fire Test with Thrust Vectoring 588 views •Nov 20, 2019
Before the first launch, we have another beautiful performance.
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Space project eXTP to set example of good cooperation with China: Czech scientists
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-07 08:31:39|Editor: Xiang Bo
PRAGUE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The enhanced X-Ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) could set an example of good cooperation between the Czech Republic and China, said Czech scientists attending an international workshop on Astronomical X-Ray Optics which closed here on Friday.
The eXTP is a China-led cutting-edge satellite observatory that aims to explore still mysterious celestial bodies, such as black holes and neutron stars.
The project, to be launched by 2027, has reached out for cooperation with scientists from more than 20 countries, including Italy, Germany,and France.
Chinese researchers in the past relied mainly on interpreting data from other space programs, noted Prof. Vladimir Karas, director of Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
But he stressed that the eXTP would change the trend as Chinese astrophysicists become more important in the international scientific community.
The eXTP project also spells closer economic cooperation between China and Europe. The satellite will carry four payloads - two developed mainly by China and two by Europe.
China will supply a Spectroscopy Focusing Array (SFA) and Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA), while the European side will develop the Large Area Detector (LAD) and Wide Field Monitor (WFM).
The Czech team, composed of scientists from the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Silesian University in Opava, will contribute in cooperation with the Czech industry.
Czech scientists will participate in measurements of X-rays from the closest neighborhood of black holes and neutron stars.
"These satellites are extremely complicated and expensive, so it turns out that one country, one academy, or one space agency has finite resources to produce one satellite," said Karas, who is also Co-Principal Investigator of the Czech project for the eXTP.
"But these satellites don't last forever. They fly a few years, and they need to be replaced... no country is able to repeat this many times. There needs collaboration," Karas added.
Karas said his team's collaboration with Chinese researchers began about 10 years ago at an astrophysics conference in Spain, where he and a Chinese researcher from Shanghai found shared research interests.
Since then, Karas has co-signed research papers with Chinese physicists and saw the launch of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) in China two years ago.
Formal relations between the Chinese and Czech space programs began in the early 1990s. The Czech Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Sciences both finance student exchanges and allow researchers to visit each other's academies.
The Czech Republic, through the European Space Agency (ESA), is also formally collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on other projects such as the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE).
So far, the Czech Republic is part of the main consortium on SMILE and providing "top-level participation" during the project's finalization.
"SMILE is already in the manufacturing process, everything is fixed, and it's official," said Prof. Rene Hudec, the Czech team's lead from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University.
However, the ESA has yet to sign on to the eXTP project officially.
"I hear that they will somehow support or join the mission so that everything should be on the right track," said Karas. "For us, it would be a big help because the Czech Republic is a small country and we are involved in the ESA."
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-07 08:31:39|Editor: Xiang Bo
PRAGUE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- The enhanced X-Ray Timing and Polarimetry mission (eXTP) could set an example of good cooperation between the Czech Republic and China, said Czech scientists attending an international workshop on Astronomical X-Ray Optics which closed here on Friday.
The eXTP is a China-led cutting-edge satellite observatory that aims to explore still mysterious celestial bodies, such as black holes and neutron stars.
The project, to be launched by 2027, has reached out for cooperation with scientists from more than 20 countries, including Italy, Germany,and France.
Chinese researchers in the past relied mainly on interpreting data from other space programs, noted Prof. Vladimir Karas, director of Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
But he stressed that the eXTP would change the trend as Chinese astrophysicists become more important in the international scientific community.
The eXTP project also spells closer economic cooperation between China and Europe. The satellite will carry four payloads - two developed mainly by China and two by Europe.
China will supply a Spectroscopy Focusing Array (SFA) and Polarimetry Focusing Array (PFA), while the European side will develop the Large Area Detector (LAD) and Wide Field Monitor (WFM).
The Czech team, composed of scientists from the Astronomical Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Silesian University in Opava, will contribute in cooperation with the Czech industry.
Czech scientists will participate in measurements of X-rays from the closest neighborhood of black holes and neutron stars.
"These satellites are extremely complicated and expensive, so it turns out that one country, one academy, or one space agency has finite resources to produce one satellite," said Karas, who is also Co-Principal Investigator of the Czech project for the eXTP.
"But these satellites don't last forever. They fly a few years, and they need to be replaced... no country is able to repeat this many times. There needs collaboration," Karas added.
Karas said his team's collaboration with Chinese researchers began about 10 years ago at an astrophysics conference in Spain, where he and a Chinese researcher from Shanghai found shared research interests.
Since then, Karas has co-signed research papers with Chinese physicists and saw the launch of the Hard X-ray Modulation Telescope (HXMT) in China two years ago.
Formal relations between the Chinese and Czech space programs began in the early 1990s. The Czech Academy of Sciences and Chinese Academy of Sciences both finance student exchanges and allow researchers to visit each other's academies.
The Czech Republic, through the European Space Agency (ESA), is also formally collaborating with the Chinese Academy of Sciences on other projects such as the Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer (SMILE).
So far, the Czech Republic is part of the main consortium on SMILE and providing "top-level participation" during the project's finalization.
"SMILE is already in the manufacturing process, everything is fixed, and it's official," said Prof. Rene Hudec, the Czech team's lead from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Czech Technical University.
However, the ESA has yet to sign on to the eXTP project officially.
"I hear that they will somehow support or join the mission so that everything should be on the right track," said Karas. "For us, it would be a big help because the Czech Republic is a small country and we are involved in the ESA."
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cedar@EL2squirrel
SJ-20 is a communication satellite of DFH-5 platform, it will be launched in late december by Long March-5.
If it goes well, It will conduct the first Q/V-band communication experiment with 4.5Ghz bandwidth in the world
9
2:59 PM - Dec 13, 2019
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Miyin program to seek habitable exoplanets
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2019-12-14 06:47
An artist's conception of an exoplanet beyond our own solar system known to astronomers as LHS 3844b, which lies about 48.6 light years from Earth is shown in this handout photo obtained Aug 19, 2019. [Photo/Agencies]
China has begun preliminary research on a program scheduled to be officially launched around 2030 to search for potentially habitable planets outside our solar system, according to a key figure in the nation's space industry.
Yuan Jie, general manager at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said on Thursday during a lecture to students at Beihang University in Beijing that the Miyin program has been listed as one of the company's top priorities to be realized around 2030.
Yuan's company is a State-owned space conglomerate and the leading contractor for almost all of the country's space endeavors ranging from the Shenzhou manned programs to the Chang'e lunar expeditions.
He said the program plans to send spacecraft carrying telescopes and other cutting-edge detectors to help scientists find potentially habitable exoplanets near our solar system and analyze their conditions.
Researchers will also be allowed to conduct spectroscopic surveys and explore the distribution of water on planets inside our own solar system, Yuan added.
He said key technologies of the program will include detectors usable in extremely cold conditions.
The program is expected to open a new chapter in astronomical observation and is likely to bring breakthroughs to the country's scientific efforts, Yuan said.
This is the first time a high-ranking figure inside China's space industry disclosed the country's attempts to find Earthlike planets around sun-like stars.
However, as Proxima Centauri-the nearest star to our own sun-is over four light years away, this is an impossible distance to reach in a human life span using current technologies.
Therefore, the Miyin missions will merely leave our own solar system to get a clearer, unhindered and slightly closer look at any exoplanets out there.
Before Yuan, a handful of works published by local authorities and State-owned institutes in China had unveiled some facets about the proposed Miyin program.
A statement released in May by the Qian Xuesen Laboratory under the China Academy of Space Technology said the program was first conceived in May 2018. It involves several academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as multiple preeminent institutes such as Peking University, Nanjing University and Dalian University of Technology.
A news release published by Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, quoted Meng Xiaojing, a Chinese Academy of Sciences academician, as saying that the development methods, program phases and goals have been set and organizations involved will deepen exchanges and cooperation.
Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that though interplanetary immigration sounds impossible for now, it is necessary for governments and scientists to embark on the research, search and exploration of potentially habitable extrasolar planets because this endeavor will not only enable mankind to explore all kinds of possibilities for humanity's future, but also create new stimuli for science and technology.
As of Dec 1, there were 4,135 confirmed exoplanets in 3,073 star systems, according to the Paris-based online database Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia.
By Zhao Lei | China Daily | Updated: 2019-12-14 06:47
China has begun preliminary research on a program scheduled to be officially launched around 2030 to search for potentially habitable planets outside our solar system, according to a key figure in the nation's space industry.
Yuan Jie, general manager at China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp, said on Thursday during a lecture to students at Beihang University in Beijing that the Miyin program has been listed as one of the company's top priorities to be realized around 2030.
Yuan's company is a State-owned space conglomerate and the leading contractor for almost all of the country's space endeavors ranging from the Shenzhou manned programs to the Chang'e lunar expeditions.
He said the program plans to send spacecraft carrying telescopes and other cutting-edge detectors to help scientists find potentially habitable exoplanets near our solar system and analyze their conditions.
Researchers will also be allowed to conduct spectroscopic surveys and explore the distribution of water on planets inside our own solar system, Yuan added.
He said key technologies of the program will include detectors usable in extremely cold conditions.
The program is expected to open a new chapter in astronomical observation and is likely to bring breakthroughs to the country's scientific efforts, Yuan said.
This is the first time a high-ranking figure inside China's space industry disclosed the country's attempts to find Earthlike planets around sun-like stars.
However, as Proxima Centauri-the nearest star to our own sun-is over four light years away, this is an impossible distance to reach in a human life span using current technologies.
Therefore, the Miyin missions will merely leave our own solar system to get a clearer, unhindered and slightly closer look at any exoplanets out there.
Before Yuan, a handful of works published by local authorities and State-owned institutes in China had unveiled some facets about the proposed Miyin program.
A statement released in May by the Qian Xuesen Laboratory under the China Academy of Space Technology said the program was first conceived in May 2018. It involves several academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering as well as multiple preeminent institutes such as Peking University, Nanjing University and Dalian University of Technology.
A news release published by Xidian University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, quoted Meng Xiaojing, a Chinese Academy of Sciences academician, as saying that the development methods, program phases and goals have been set and organizations involved will deepen exchanges and cooperation.
Wang Yanan, editor-in-chief of Aerospace Knowledge magazine, said that though interplanetary immigration sounds impossible for now, it is necessary for governments and scientists to embark on the research, search and exploration of potentially habitable extrasolar planets because this endeavor will not only enable mankind to explore all kinds of possibilities for humanity's future, but also create new stimuli for science and technology.
As of Dec 1, there were 4,135 confirmed exoplanets in 3,073 star systems, according to the Paris-based online database Extrasolar Planets Encyclopedia.
JSCh
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Macao's moon, planetary lab to boost China's deep space exploration
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-15 19:33:08|Editor: mingmei
by Xinhua writers Wang Chenxi, Hu Yao & Guo Xin
A model of the space exploration satellite Macao Science 1. [Photo/China National Space Administration]
MACAO, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Macao's first space exploration satellite was named Macao Science 1, the special administrative region (SAR)'s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Tam Chon Weng announced Sunday at an opening ceremony of an aerospace exhibition.
During the opening ceremony, Vice Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA) Wu Yanhua also announced that the CNSA would set up Macao Space Exploration and Science Center to assist deep space exploration cooperation between China and international society, and help such institutions in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to work with each other.
The satellite, which will be launched in 2021, is the first of its kind to probe the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region of reduced magnetic intensity where the inner radiation belt is at its lowest altitude.
Geophysicists believe the study of SAA can help them find the reason of Earth's weakening magnetic field.
The satellite program is operated by China's State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science, which was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and established on Oct. 8, 2018 in Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Prof. Zhang Keke, chief of the laboratory, is a world renowned Earth and planetary physicist. He came to Macao from University of Exeter, Britain in 2018.
"This satellite program is moving forward much faster than I have expected," he told Xinhua in an recent interview. "I can concentrate all the resources into this key laboratory."
Zhang's research team has about 40 experts and scholars, including leading figures and young talents from well-known global institutions, and have participated in major projects of China's deep space exploration long before the laboratory had been recognized by Ministry of Science and Technology.
China is set to launch its Mars explorer in 2020. Zhang's team also has taken part in the research and development of the Mars explorer.
"The Mars explorer will collect many data from Mars and we will use our equipment to analyze those data for the study of Mars' inner structure and planetary evolution history," he said.
Besides the deep space exploration, the laboratory scholars also do research on lunar physics, planetary physics, lunar geology and planetary chemistry.
Associate Prof. Zhu Menghua from the laboratory made a breakthrough this year, as his paper Reconstructing the Late-accretion History of the Moon was published in Nature in July.
Zhu used the supercomputing platform of the MUST to study the process of different celestial bodies hitting the Earth and the Moon at different angles and the differences in retained mass through multiple simulation, and revealed the mystery of lack of iron in the lunar mantle compared with that of earth.
This experiment and its result provide new point of view to the late-accretion history of the Earth and moon, indirectly proved the great collision theory of the formation of the moon, and provide new scientific support for data analysis of Chang'e 4 and subsequent lunar and Mars exploration missions.
Zhu has also studied planetary biology, a field where scientists try to find what kind of extreme environment can survive.
He told Xinhua that the planetary biology is a hot spot in international community but a new territory in China.
Associate Prof. Andre Guimaraes Lemos Antunes, one of the laboratory's planetary biologists, said China is at an exciting stage of space exploration. In Macao, the State Key Laboratory has convenient conditions to conduct cutting-edge research and engage in China's space program.
"This is very interesting and I am willing to contribute to all of this," he said.
As a Portuguese, Antunes feels at home in Macao. "The interesting thing about Macao is that it has historical ties with Portugal, so I'm very happy to work here."
The team is very diverse and interdisciplinary. Working side by side with colleagues in different fields such as computer modeling, space exploration and geophysics has been an interesting experience, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-15 19:33:08|Editor: mingmei
by Xinhua writers Wang Chenxi, Hu Yao & Guo Xin
MACAO, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- Macao's first space exploration satellite was named Macao Science 1, the special administrative region (SAR)'s Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Tam Chon Weng announced Sunday at an opening ceremony of an aerospace exhibition.
During the opening ceremony, Vice Administrator of China National Space Administration (CNSA) Wu Yanhua also announced that the CNSA would set up Macao Space Exploration and Science Center to assist deep space exploration cooperation between China and international society, and help such institutions in Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area to work with each other.
The satellite, which will be launched in 2021, is the first of its kind to probe the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region of reduced magnetic intensity where the inner radiation belt is at its lowest altitude.
Geophysicists believe the study of SAA can help them find the reason of Earth's weakening magnetic field.
The satellite program is operated by China's State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Science, which was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology and established on Oct. 8, 2018 in Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST).
Prof. Zhang Keke, chief of the laboratory, is a world renowned Earth and planetary physicist. He came to Macao from University of Exeter, Britain in 2018.
"This satellite program is moving forward much faster than I have expected," he told Xinhua in an recent interview. "I can concentrate all the resources into this key laboratory."
Zhang's research team has about 40 experts and scholars, including leading figures and young talents from well-known global institutions, and have participated in major projects of China's deep space exploration long before the laboratory had been recognized by Ministry of Science and Technology.
China is set to launch its Mars explorer in 2020. Zhang's team also has taken part in the research and development of the Mars explorer.
"The Mars explorer will collect many data from Mars and we will use our equipment to analyze those data for the study of Mars' inner structure and planetary evolution history," he said.
Besides the deep space exploration, the laboratory scholars also do research on lunar physics, planetary physics, lunar geology and planetary chemistry.
Associate Prof. Zhu Menghua from the laboratory made a breakthrough this year, as his paper Reconstructing the Late-accretion History of the Moon was published in Nature in July.
Zhu used the supercomputing platform of the MUST to study the process of different celestial bodies hitting the Earth and the Moon at different angles and the differences in retained mass through multiple simulation, and revealed the mystery of lack of iron in the lunar mantle compared with that of earth.
This experiment and its result provide new point of view to the late-accretion history of the Earth and moon, indirectly proved the great collision theory of the formation of the moon, and provide new scientific support for data analysis of Chang'e 4 and subsequent lunar and Mars exploration missions.
Zhu has also studied planetary biology, a field where scientists try to find what kind of extreme environment can survive.
He told Xinhua that the planetary biology is a hot spot in international community but a new territory in China.
Associate Prof. Andre Guimaraes Lemos Antunes, one of the laboratory's planetary biologists, said China is at an exciting stage of space exploration. In Macao, the State Key Laboratory has convenient conditions to conduct cutting-edge research and engage in China's space program.
"This is very interesting and I am willing to contribute to all of this," he said.
As a Portuguese, Antunes feels at home in Macao. "The interesting thing about Macao is that it has historical ties with Portugal, so I'm very happy to work here."
The team is very diverse and interdisciplinary. Working side by side with colleagues in different fields such as computer modeling, space exploration and geophysics has been an interesting experience, he added.
JSCh
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中国之声 44分钟前 已编辑13:52, 27-Oct-2019
The Long March 5 Y-3 carrier rocket arrives at launch site
By Wu Lei
The National Space Administration announced that the Long March 5 Y-3 carrier rocket safely arrived in south China's Hainan Wenchang Qinglan Port on October 27.
After completing a series of assembly and testing work, the rocket will be launched from the Wenchang space launch site.
Yuanwang 21 and 22 vessels. /CGTN Photo
The rocket transport fleet, consisting of the Yuanwang 21 and 22 vessels belonging to the China Satellite Maritime Survey and Control Department, set sail from Tianjin Port on October 22. After five days and nights of sailing under the complex sea conditions and harsh environment, it arrived safely at the Qinglan Port Terminal in Wenchang, Hainan.
The rocket will then be transported to the Wenchang Space Launch Site by road transport and will carry out preparations for the launch site mission following the plan.
【长征五号遥三火箭垂直转运至发射区】记者从国家航天局获悉，12月21日，长征五号遥三运载火箭在中国文昌航天发射场完成技术区相关工作后，垂直转运至发射区，计划于12月底前后择机实施飞行试验任务。长征五号遥三火箭于10月底运抵中国文昌航天发射场后，按照飞行任务测试发射流程，陆续完成了总装、测试等各项准备工作。21日上午8时25分 ，承载着长征五号遥三火箭的活动发射平台，驶出发射场垂直测试厂房，平稳行驶约2小时后，安全转运至发射区。后续，在完成火箭功能检查和联合测试工作，并确认最终状态后，火箭将加注推进剂，按计划实施发射。
The Voice of China
44 minutes ago
[Long March 5Y3 Rocket Rolled-out to Launch Pad]
The reporter learned from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that on December 21st, after the Long March 5Y3 carrier rocket completed related work in the technical area at the Wenchang Space Launch Site in China, it was vertically transferred to the launch area. It is planned to conduct flight missions around late December. After the Long March No. 5 rocket arrived at the Wenchang Space Launch Site at the end of October, it completed the assembly, testing and other preparations in accordance with the flight test launch process. At 8:25 a.m. on the 21st, the mobile launch platform carrying the Long March No. 5Y3 rocket was driven out of the vertical test building. After about 2 hours of smooth driving, it was safely transferred to the launch pad. Subsequently, after completing the rocket function inspection and joint testing and confirming the final state, the rocket will be filled with propellant and launched as planned.
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China to launch first satellite for space-based gravitational wave detection next year
Source: Xinhua| 2018-10-14 19:40:22|Editor: Yang Yi
BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- China plans to launch its first satellite to test the technologies of the space-based gravitational wave detection program "Tianqin" by the end of 2019.
The program Tianqin, meaning "harp in sky," was initiated by Sun Yat-sen University in south China's Guangdong Province in 2015. It will consist of three satellites forming an equilateral triangle around the earth.
"It's like a harp in space. If the gravitational waves come, the 'harp's strings" will be plucked," said Luo Jun, president of the Sun Yat-sen University and an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, at a conference held recently in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong Province.
The detection will be based on high-precision laser interferometry technology to measure the changes of the distances and locations of the three satellites, according to Luo.
Gravitational waves are "ripples" in the fabric of space-time caused by some of the most violent and energetic processes in the universe. Albert Einstein predicted the existence of gravitational waves in 1916 in his general theory of relativity.
The first-ever discovery of gravitational waves by the American Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO), announced in February 2016, has encouraged scientists worldwide to accelerate their research.
Different from LIGO, the space-based probes will be used to detect gravitational waves at much lower frequencies, which are generated by the merging of massive or supermassive black holes, scientists say.
The European Space Agency has also launched a space-based gravitational wave detection program, the "Laser Interferometer Space Antenna" project.
Luo admitted that although China had achieved some breakthrough results in the detection technology, there was still a huge gap to realize the space-based detection of gravitational waves.
Laser-ranging is one of the necessary technologies for detection. China accomplished its first successful laser-ranging between earth and the moon in January this year.
The relay satellite of China's Chang'e-4 lunar probe, launched in May this year, carries a reflector developed by the Sun Yat-sen University, and is expected to extend laser-ranging to a record distance of 460,000 km in 2019.
Scientists from Germany, Italy and Russia have expressed their willingness to cooperate with China in gravitational wave detection.
New China-Brazil earth resource satellite sent into space
Source: Xinhua| 2019-12-20 12:05:07|Editor: Yurou
TAIYUAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- A new satellite, jointly developed by China and Brazil, was sent into space on Friday, pushing forward the aerospace cooperation between the two countries, according to the China National Space Administration.
The China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite-4A was launched on a Long March-4B carrier rocket at 11:22 a.m. Friday Beijing Time from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China's Shanxi Province.
The satellite is the sixth satellite under the earth resource satellite cooperation program between the two countries. It will obtain global optical remote-sensing data and support the Brazilian government's monitoring of the Amazon rainforest and the country's environmental changes.
The satellite was jointly developed by the China Academy of Space Technology and the National Institute for Space Research of Brazil. The carrier rocket was developed by the Shanghai Academy of Spaceflight Technology.
By the same rocket, another eight satellites were put into orbit, including a wide-range multispectral remote-sensing microsatellite donated to Ethiopia.
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