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Tianlian-1 (4) - CZ-3C, XSLC - November 22, 2016


Air space closure notices have been issued for launch on November 22 ~15:30 UTC:

A3017/16 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N272126E1082255-N272538E1075906-N271500E1075646-N271048E1082032 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 22 NOV 15:16 2016 UNTIL 22 NOV 15:52 2016. CREATED: 21 NOV 03:27 2016

A3016/16 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N274653E1061213-N275127E1054213-N273537E1053904-N273054E1060859 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 22 NOV 15:16 2016 UNTIL 22 NOV 15:51 2016. CREATED: 21 NOV 03:24 2016

and one NOTAM for fairing debris:
A3018/16 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N260808E1142921-N261444E1140013-N255857E1135553-N255223E1142456 BACK TO START. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 22 NOV 15:18 2016 UNTIL 22 NOV 15:59 2016. CREATED: 21 NOV 03:30 2016
 
Chinese greetings from space
European Space Agency, ESA
Published on Nov 19, 2016

Astronauts on Chinese space station Tiangong-2 greet ESA and Thomas Pesquet. This video was recorded inside the Chinese space station Tiangong-2 by astronauts Jing Haipeng and Chen Dong. The duo landed safely on Earth on 18 November after spending a month orbiting Earth. A few hours before their descent, ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet was launched aboard a Soyuz spacecraft to the International Space Station.

ESA’s Director of Human Spaceflight, David Parker, noted, “Human spaceflight provides many opportunities to increase international cooperation, and the interaction between the Astronaut Centre of China and the European Astronaut Centre is already creating positive experiences on which to build for the future.”

A cheesecake created by French chef Alain Ducasse for Thomas Pesquet’s six-month mission on the International Space Station was sent to the Chinese astronauts.

Chinese astronaut Ye Guangfu, who trained with the astronauts in this video, took part in ESA’s underground course this summer.
 
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Tianlian-1 (4) - CZ-3C, XSLC - November 22, 2016

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Long March 3C launches fourth Tianlian-1 spacecraft
November 22, 2016 by Rui C. Barbosa
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China orbited its fourth tracking and data relay satellite in the Tianlian-1 range known as ‘Sky Link’ on Tuesday. The launch took place at 15:30 UTC from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan Province, utilizing a Long March 3C/G2 rocket.


Chinese Launch:

The Chinese tracking and data relay satellites were developed by the China Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and it is similar to the American Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) in concept.

The system is designed to support near-real-time communications between orbiting spacecraft and ground control. The system will complement the ground-based space tracking and telemetry stations and ships to support future space projects.

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Like its predecessors, the Tianlian-1 (4) satellite is based on the DFH-3 bus. The DFH-3 (Dongfanghong-3) platform is a medium-capacity telecommunications satellite platform designed and developed by CAST.

The spacecraft can carry multiple telecommunications payloads for providing numerous services, such as fixed communication, international satellite communication, national and regional communication, wideband data communication, mobile communication and direct broadcast; military communication, spacecraft tracking and data relay.

The platform comprises six subsystems: control, power, propulsion, measurement & control, structure and thermal control subsystem. The platform configuration features module subdivision, which includes communication module, propulsion module, service module and solar array. The platform also adopts three-axis stabilized attitude control mode, having solar array output power of 1.7 kw by the end of its design lifetime of 8 years. It has a mass of 2,100kg with payload capacity 220kg.


The DFH-3 satellite platform has been successfully applied in DFH-3 satellite, Beidou navigation test satellite, and other satellites, all of which are currently operating normally.

During numerous flight missions, the maturity and reliability of the DFH-3 platform is China’s proven system. Moreover, it has strong expansion capacity and can be upgraded to some space exploration missions, such as meteorological satellite, lunar resource satellite services.

Currently, Tianlian-1 (1) is positioned at 77°E. This satellite was launched on April 25, 2008 by the first Long March-3C launch vehicle.

Tianlian-1 (2) is positioned at 176.77°E, following its July 11, 2011 launch on a Long March-3C (Y8) launch vehicle. With the launch of Tianlian-1 (3) on July 25, 2012, China has managed full global coverage for its tracking and data relay system.

Launch vehicle and launch site:

The Long March-3C launch vehicle was developed to fill the gap between the Long March-3A and the Long March-3B, having a payload capacity of 3,800 kg for GTO or 9,100 kg to LEO. This is a three stage launch vehicle identical to the LM-3B but only using two strap-on boosters on its first stage.

The LM-3C/G2 is based on the LM-3C but has a lengthened first stage and boosters, which increases the GTO launch capability.

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LM-3C provides two types of fairing and two kinds of fairing encapsulating process and four different payload interfaces, which is the same as LM-3B launch vehicle. The various fairing and interface adapter and the suitable launch capacity make LM-3C a good choice for the user to choose the launch service.

The development of the LM-3C started in February 1999. The rocket has a liftoff mass of 345,000 kg, sporting structure functions to withstand the various internal and external loads on the launch vehicle during transportation, hoisting and flight.

The rocket structure also combines all sub-systems together and is composed of two strap-on boosters, a first stage, a second stage, a third stage and payload fairing.

The first two stages as well as the two strap-on boosters use hypergolic (N2O4/UDMH) fuel while the third stage uses cryogenic (LOX/LH2) fuel. The total length of the LM-3C is 54.838 meters, with a diameter of 3.35 meters on the core stage and 3.00 meters on the third stage.

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On the first stage, the LM-3C uses a DaFY6-2 engine with a 2961.6 kN thrust and a specific impulse of 2556.2 Ns/kg. The first stage diameter is 3.35 m and the stage length is 26.972 m.

Each strap-on booster is equipped with a DaFY5-1 engine with a 704.4 kN thrust and a specific impulse of 2556.2 Ns/kg. The strap-on booster diameter is 2.25 m and the strap-on booster length is 15.326 m.

The second stage is equipped with a DaFY20-1 main engine (742 kN / 2922.57 Ns/kg) and four DaFY21-1 vernier engines (11.8 kN / 2910.5 Ns/kg each). The second stage diameter is 3.35 m and the stage length is 9.470 m.

The third stage is equipped with two YF-75 engines developing 78.5 kN each and with a specific impulse of 4312 Ns/kg. The fairing diameter of the LM-3C is 4.00 meters and has a length of 9.56 meters.

Inaugurated on January 29, 1984, when the first Long March-3 was launched to orbit the Shiyan Weixing (14670 1984-008A) communications satellite, the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre is situated in the Sichuan Province, south-western China and is the country’s launch site for geosynchronous orbital launches.

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Equipped with two launch pads (LC2 and LC3), the centre has a dedicated railway and highway lead directly to the launch site. The Command and Control Centre is located seven kilometers south-west of the launch pad, providing flight and safety control during launch rehearsal and launch. Down range Tracking and Control stations of the launch center are located in Xichang City and Yibin City of Sichuan Province, and

Downrange Tracking and Control stations of the launch center are located in Xichang City and Yibin City of Sichuan Province, and Guiyang City of Guizhou Province. Each of them houses tracking and measurement equipment for the powered phase of a launch vehicle flight.

Other facilities on the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre are the Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, communications systems for launch command, telephone and data communications for users, and support equipment for meteorological monitoring and forecasting.

During 1993-1994 Xichang underwent extensive modernization and expansion, in part due to the requirements of the CZ-3 launcher family and in part to meet commercial customer needs.

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https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2016/11/long-march-3c-launches-tianlian-1/
 
China starts collecting space program proposals
Source: Xinhua 2016-12-01 20:51:53

BEIJING, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- China on Thursday began collecting proposals for future space science programs, according to the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

Research institutes, universities and the aerospace industry are encouraged to make proposals for China's aerospace development in the next 10 to 15 years, CAS said.

CAS plans to launch more science satellites by around 2020 to conduct science missions, such as detecting electromagnetic counterparts to gravitational waves and understanding the Earth's water cycle, according to CAS deputy head Xiang Libin.

The satellites include the Einstein-Probe, the Advanced Space-borne Solar Observatory, the Water Cycle Observation Mission, the Magnetosphere-Ionosphere-Thermosphere Coupling Exploration, and the Solar Wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer, Xiang said.
 
Chinese astronauts meet the press after space mission
Source: Xinhua 2016-12-07 17:08:58

BEIJING, Dec. 7 (Xinhua) -- The two astronauts who manned China's Shenzhou-11 mission met the press Wednesday following almost three weeks in quarantine.

Jing Haipeng, 55, commander of the Shenzhou-11 spacecraft, and Chen Dong, 38, appeared in good spirits and shared their experiences with the press.

Launched on Oct. 17, Shenzhou-11 docked two days later with China's first space lab, Tiangong-2, where the two astronauts lived for 30 days, the longest time a taikonaut has spent in space.

After safely returning to Earth on Nov. 18, the two astronauts were quarantined to help them readapt to life on Earth.

According to Huang Weifen, deputy chief designer of the astronaut system with the Astronaut Center of China, the astronauts' health checks matched expectations, however, they will continue to be observed for another month to ensure they are completely acclimatized.

It was the third space mission for Jing, 50, who also participated in the Shenzhou-7 and Shenzhou-9 missions.

It was Chen's first space mission.

The Shenzhou-11 mission is part of China's ambitious plan to build a permanent manned space station.
 
FY-4A Fengyun-4A - CZ-3B/G2 - XSLC - December 10, 2016 (~16:10 UTC)


Lift off planned at about 16:10 UTC on December 10

NOTAM for boosters debris
A3131/16
- A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N272159E1083650-N273125E1074313-N271528E1073946-N270603E1083315-N27 2159E1083650. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 16:032016 UNTIL 10 DEC 16:35 2016. CREATED: 07 DEC 05:59 2016

NOTAM for fairing debris
A3132/16 - A TEMPORARY RESTRICTED AREA ESTABLISHED BOUNDED BY: N260808E1142921-N261444E1140013-N255857E1135553-N255223E1142456-N26 0808E1142921. VERTICAL LIMITS:GND-UNL. GND - UNL, 10 DEC 16:05 2016 UNTIL 10 DEC 16:46 2016. CREATED: 07 DEC 06:00 2016
 
View attachment 357161
China reopen space craft project after it was postponed decades ago when China was foucused on Shenzhou project, money talks.
And it was “Father of China’s Aerospace”, Qian Xuesen 钱学森 (1911-2009) himself who voted decisively in favour of the continuation of Shenzhou rocket project instead of the more eye-catching and glamour program of reusable spacecraft (akin to the USA' Space Shuttle) when China's aerospace development was presented with two developmental paths: Shenzhou rocket vis-à-vis reusable Spacecraft .

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Another wise decision by Qian, like his determined support for the continuation of the China's space medical & health research institute when it's under serious consideration to be dissolved due to funding problem. This space medical institute is instrumental in preparing taikonaut for the manned space flight. Btw it's Qian who decided to adopt the term "aerospace" as the new, proper reference for the entire China's space-related ecosystem.

China was truly fortunate to be granted a great, a genius scientist like Qian Xuesen.

Here's one interesting read on Qian:

"In his life, Mr. Qian Xuesen always observed four principles: no inscribing; no writing preface for anyone; no attending seasonal activities of any kind; no interview of media. Mr. Qian seldom sent congratulatory letter or telegram to any department or regional meeting, nor did he write an inscription for them; should he do that on special occasions, the letter or telegram or inscription would seldom be published. To one’s amazement and great honor, in all his life he had written an inscription for Northwestern Polytechical University teachers and students three times successively (two of which were for East China Institute of Aeronautics and Xi’an Institute of Aeronautics respectively), offering his great concern and profound inspiration for NPU."
Qian Xuesen’s NPU Complex: http://en.nwpu.edu.cn/info/1003/1557.htm
 
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