AckSed Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 21 hours ago, magnemoe said: Is the core stage lit during takeoff? Hard to see on the video but it looks like core has a vacuum nozzle and it should have enough thrust to not be lit I think. Says not, so it really is a 3-and-a-half stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 https://x.com/cosmic_penguin/status/1747801739129196801?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A The first flight of the next generation crewed spacecraft LEO variant and the LEO version of the future Moon rocket (Long March 10) is coming in 2025-2026. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 (edited) https://x.com/cnspaceflight/status/1748332381839471076?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A A hop test of a prototype methane Falcon 9 clone has taken place. This is the first flight of any hardware for the numerous Chinese F9 clones. *I say clone based on superficial visual resemblance, not configuration. Obviously using methane makes it very different from F9. Edited January 19 by SunlitZelkova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthgently Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 2 minutes ago, SunlitZelkova said: https://x.com/cnspaceflight/status/1748332381839471076?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A A hop test of a prototype methane Falcon 9 clone has taken place. This is the first flight of any hardware for the numerous Chinese F9 clones. *I say clone based on superficial visual resemblance, not configuration. Obviously using methane makes it very different from F9. I've wondered before what would be so crazy about SpaceX making a methane F9. Either via methane versioned Merlins (booster and vacuum), or a "tweakscaled" Raptor. It will be interesting to see how the methane-mutant clones function. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnemoe Posted January 20 Share Posted January 20 On 1/17/2024 at 5:04 PM, AckSed said: Says not, so it really is a 3-and-a-half stage. It make more sense and I say it makes it an 4 stage rocket as it 4 ignitions. Most rockets with boosters is half stage as booster and core lit at once like atlas 5 or falcon heavy is 2.5 stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted February 24 Share Posted February 24 I had a lot going on this month so I wasn’t able to do the recap of January’s launches. I’ll just have to input double in a few days. Anyways, big news! The Chinese lunar spacecraft have names! https://x.com/raz_liu/status/1761213154783330522?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A The Next Generation Crewed Spacecraft is called Mengzhou (“Dream Vessel”) and the lunar lander is called Lanyue (“Embrace the Moon”). CMS made the announcement. Also, here is a PowerPoint from CNSA’s Lunar Exploration and Space Engineering Center describing China’s future plans. https://x.com/segeryu/status/1760218566299943323?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Moon exploration- 1. Queqiao-2 relay satellite will launch in 2024 2. Chang’e 6 South Pole lunar sample return will launch in 2024 3. Chang’e 7, basically China’s equivalent to VIPER, will launch around 2026 4. Chang’e 8, the first mission of the International Lunar Research Station, will launch around 2028 The ILRS will include multiple spacecraft on the South Pole by 2033, and by 2045 will be expanded to have a limited human presence. A crewed lunar landing will occur around 2030. Planetary exploration- 1. Tianwen-2 asteroid sample return will launch around 2025. Samples will return in 2027, and the spacecraft will continue and study a comet 2. Tianwen-3 Mars sample return will launch around 2030. It will require two LM-5Bs 3. Tianwen-4 Outer Planet mission will launch around 2030, orbit Jupiter and visit the moons around 2035, and eventually visit Uranus by 2046. 4. Unnamed heliopause exploration mission will launch at an unknown date and reach 80-100 AU by 2050. Also, China plans to conduct its own DART style mission in the 2030s, and build an international asteroid interception capability by the 2050s. There’s also an update on Long March 9. Apparently it is intended to initially be a partially reusable LV like F9, but by the 2050s its upper stage will be replaced by a Starship like spacecraft, making it fully reusable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeSchmuckatelli Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 On 2/23/2024 at 9:39 PM, SunlitZelkova said: Unnamed heliopause exploration mission will launch at an unknown date and reach 80-100 AU by 2050 Hopefully this gets enough funding to be robust, carry a LOT of science gadgets and launch *soon*. Will be interested to see if they utilize planetary slingshots and / or go to the far side of the system from the Voyagers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minmus Taster Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 3 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said: Hopefully this gets enough funding to be robust, carry a LOT of science gadgets and launch *soon*. Will be interested to see if they utilize planetary slingshots and / or go to the far side of the system from the Voyagers Spoiler Or finally take another look at my favorite planet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 CNSA claims its plan to semi-reuse the future Long March 10 lunar rocket are much farther along than was known. A 4 m diameter version of the rocket will launch in 2024 (!!!), and a single stick version of the 5 m diameter core, which is intended to also be a future LEO transport rocket, will fly in 2025. They have completed the hop test phase, which is impressive considering Long March 8R and the private Chinese companies started earlier than them and are still doing hop tests. Speaking of which, I haven’t heard anything about LM-8R in a while. Some optimistic plans had it having its first reuse attempt in 2022. My guess is it was cancelled because landing the triple body first stage was unworkable. https://x.com/raz_liu/status/1764890946360242513?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A In case you don’t know, the plan to reuse Long March 10 is to have it deploy long arms outwards, and be caught by a set of wires aboard a recovery ship in the South China Sea. Basically the SpaceX chopstick plan but the arms are on the first stage of the rocket, and it is caught by wire. Like Superheavy, it could easily be equipped with legs instead if it doesn’t work out. Given they plan to recover it on a ship, it’s not like they have a requirement for rapid reuse anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zaffre Posted March 6 Share Posted March 6 Funny timing, that. I was just wondering what the status of Long March 9 was and I found out about LM10. It's a shame that LM9 is on the back burner but it looks like they want to learn from LM10 first and apply that knowledge to LM9. I was quite pleasantly surprised to see that Long March 10 may fly relatively soon. Waiting for SLS and Starship has felt like watching paint dry in a tropical swamp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 (edited) On 3/5/2024 at 5:57 AM, SunlitZelkova said: In case you don’t know, the plan to reuse Long March 10 is to have it deploy long arms outwards, and be caught by a set of wires aboard a recovery ship in the South China Sea. Basically the SpaceX chopstick plan but the arms are on the first stage of the rocket, and it is caught by wire. Here’s a video of the planned recovery in case anyone was having a hard time visualizing it. https://x.com/dsshhh114/status/1764478340013170785?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Only for the LEO version apparently, although I swear I remember hearing it would be used for the lunar variant too. Perhaps the vehicle just doesn’t have the performance to do a landing while lofting an upper stage capable of taking the capsule or lander to the Moon. Edited March 11 by SunlitZelkova Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted March 20 Share Posted March 20 https://x.com/cnspaceflight/status/1770252121784701029?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Queqiao-2 lunar relay satellite lifts off on a Long March 8 from Wenchang. Chang’e 6 lunar sample return mission to the South Pole will follow soon! The various parts of the Long March 5 have already arrived at Hainan for assembly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDE Posted March 25 Share Posted March 25 (edited) Spectacular reentry over Vladivostok believed to be the product of this thread's subject matter. https://t.me/space78125/2505 Edit: more authoritative sources say Soyuz MS-25 second stage https://t.me/kiam_ison_network/191 Edited March 25 by DDE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted April 17 Share Posted April 17 https://x.com/dsshhh114/status/1778708684044165449?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A The new lunar communications relay sat, Queqiao-2, is in lunar orbit. Chang’e 6 will launch on May 3rd. It will attempt to bring back samples from the South Pole. It’s a shame there can’t be more cooperation. NASA would surely benefit from having access to some samples ahead of VIPER’s launch. Meanwhile, Shenzhou 18 will launch soon too, on April 25th- just a day after China’s space day. https://x.com/dsshhh114/status/1779861392167928280?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Curiously, while the crew “has been selected,” the names have not been announced. https://x.com/raz_liu/status/1775426422469013897?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A And finally, the first flight of one of the various Chinese F9 “visual clones” inches closer. While ZQ-3 may look like F9, it is made of stainless steel and uses methalox. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDE Posted Monday at 01:13 PM Share Posted Monday at 01:13 PM Bunch of mission patches https://t.me/fotozak/6529 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted Wednesday at 10:33 PM Share Posted Wednesday at 10:33 PM https://x.com/raz_liu/status/1782939028494364904?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Ye Guangfu previously flew on Shenzhou 13, Li Cong and Li Guangsu were selected as taikonauts in 2020 and will be making their first flight. https://spacenews.com/china-on-track-for-crewed-moon-landing-by-2030-space-official-says/ Design phase of Long March 10, Mengzhou, and Lanyue are complete, and production of prototypes has begun. They’re targeting 2029 for their landing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunlitZelkova Posted Thursday at 10:38 PM Share Posted Thursday at 10:38 PM https://x.com/cnspaceflight/status/1783621625495318904?s=46&t=Jd73T2beq0JLNtwTy1uR5A Shenzhou-18 has docked with Tiangong. There are now 13 people on orbit. Shenzhou-17’s crew will depart in 4 days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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