Chinese Space Program (CNSA) & Ch. commercial launch and discussion

[steve9728]

The Shenzhou-14 crew watching the launch live be like:

*when you looking for your Amazon order delivery *

Edited July 25, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

200m mooring point for docking!

Edited July 24, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

19m!

[steve9728]

Xinhua: Wentian module is docked with the core module. As planned, the Shenzhou-14 crew will enter the Wentian Module.

Now is 3:25 Beijing time so there’s no tv or online live for the docking. Thinks we need to wait couple hours later for footage about the astronauts entering the module.

[DDE]

@realprocosmos thinks that after Mengtian, CNSA will develop the station further by turning ground-test units of Tinahe and Wentian into flight-worthy specialist modules, similar to what Roscosmos did with Nauka.

Hopefully without the tank contamination saga.

[steve9728]

Surprise! Found a Wentian’s docking video!

https://m.weibo.cn/1971177973/4794970748223746

Edited July 24, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

Here we go!

2:44 version 

Edited July 25, 2022 by steve9728

[Minmus Taster]

Oh I totally forgot about this, amazing news!

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

6 hours ago, steve9728 said:

Here we go!

what's with the weird audio dub of people taking pictures and odd applause? 

[steve9728]

8 hours ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

what's with the weird audio dub of people taking pictures and odd applause? 

The camera used to record this video was placed on the site of the Beijing Command Centre. The camera is pointed at the big screen at the Beijing Command Centre. So the "weird audio" you heard  actually was the communication between the ground command centre, other tracking stations on ground from elsewhere and the astronauts. As for the machine gun-like shutter, I believe it's just the journalists from the various media were doing their job.

If you really curious what they were talking about:

Qingdao Station: 青岛跟踪天和问天结束 (End of Qingdao tracking the Tianhe and Wentian)

Beijing Command Center: 青岛跟踪结束 (End of Qingdao tracking)

Chendong getting in the module: 手机没带！(I forgot my phone!) (Not sure he said that but it sounds like this to me)

"Tiangong" (post to monitor space station data on the ground): 天宫申请暂停地面上行网络和图像话音数据 (“Tiangong” request for suspension of ground uplink network and image voice data.)

Beijing Command Center: 北京明白(Beijing copied)

*Cai Xuzhe threw the phone from the node to Chendong*

Huashan Station: 华山明白(Huashan copied)

Chendong: 北京我是神舟十四号，问天舱内两个____插头已经拔下 (Beijing here’s Shenzhou-14 speaking, two of the [I can’t heard clearly] plugs in the Wentian were already pull off)

Beijing Command Center: 北京明白 (Beijing copied)

Chendong: 神舟十四号报告：乘组已顺利进入问天舱。这使我们在太空中拥有了第二个生活舱和工作舱。中国空间站建设又成功了一大步，我们感到无比自豪和幸福！(Shenzhou-14 reporting: Crew has successfully entering the Wentian module now. This gives us a second living and working module in space. Another big step in the successful construction of China's space station, and we feel immensely proud and happy!)

*Passing the phone to Liu Yang*

Liu Yang: 盼望着盼望着，我们迎来了“问天”小伙伴。从今天开始空间站就进入到了多舱段运行时代，我们的太空家园将会越来越美好！(We are looking forward to the arrival of our "Wentian" partner this days. From today onwards, the space station will enter the era of multi-compartment operation, and our home in space will become more and more beautiful!)

*Passing the phone to Cai Xuzhe*

Cai Xuzhe: 我们一定会继续努力工作，建设好、运行好、维护好我们的空间站。不辜负党和人民的期望！(We will certainly continue to work hard to build, operate and maintain our space station well. Live up to the expectations of the Party and the people!)

Chen Dong: 敬礼！(Salute!)

*machine gun-like shutter*

Chen Dong: 礼毕！(End of salute!)

Beijing Command Center:北京明白，祝贺神舟十四号顺利进入问天启用新的太空实验舱。预祝后续在轨工作、生活一切顺利！(Beijing copied. And congratulates Shenzhou-14 on smooth entry into the Wentian to activate the new space experiment module. We wish you all the best in your subsequent work and life in orbit!)

Edited July 25, 2022 by steve9728

[JoeSchmuckatelli]

11 minutes ago, steve9728 said:

The camera used to record this video was placed on the site of the Beijing Command Centre

Interesting.  My initial impression wasn't that I was hearing a live recording of a crowd respectfully watching the Command Center's work.  It really did sound like someone took the audio and dubbed stuff over it.

I went back and listened again - and I think you're right.  The stutter at the end still throws me off.

[steve9728]

17 minutes ago, JoeSchmuckatelli said:

The stutter at the end still throws me off.

Surprising for the camera also can be full-auto?

Edited July 25, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

I finished my trip to the south of England for the last few days and returned to my place. I found some interesting stuff on the Chinese internet about rocket launches:

I used to have a nice job: "HOLY SH*T, I didn't get it in focus!" This guy, probably a photographer for Xinhua News Agency, issued a ‘Chinese national curse’ during the launch because his camera was out of focus.

And this guy was just in time to see the launch of the Wentian as he parachuted in.

What is it like to live not too far from a rocket launch site? 

00:44: Starting to feel a little vibration and sound in the ground

00:50: The sound woke up Grandma from her nap

Spoiler

Knowing that the speed of sound at this point is 350 metres per second, how far is the place in the video from the launch site?

OK seriously, here's another video about the Wentian from assembly to launch.

Spoiler

00:01: Transfers into the site

00:19: Unpacking and resuming installation

00:26: Accurate measurement

00:29: Equipment testing

00:40: Test of the extravehicular tripod head light 

00:47: Equipment and product reinstallation

00:56: Rigid docking of the entire module

01:15: Sealed compartment sealing

01:21: Whole module to vertical

01:27: Fuelled and fairing fastened (you can see the new airlock here)

01:31: Transfer to VAB

01:39: Full system commissioning and testing

01:44: Wentian and rocket vertically transfer to launch site

01:56: Ignition & launch

02:08: The Shenzhou-14 crew watching the live in station

 

 

[steve9728]

Xinhua: Tianzhou-3 will re-enter the atmosphere on July 27.

"The Tianzhou-3 cargo ship recently left the space station has completed the established space technology tests and will be re-entered into the atmosphere under control on July 27 as planned, with a small amount of wreckage falling into the intended waters of the South Pacific."

[steve9728]

Lijian (力箭, Powerful Arrow), the currently biggest solid rocket in China, has successfully launch six satellites into orbit

These six satellites are:

New Space Technology Experiment Satellite (the top left one)

Orbital Atmospheric Density Sounding Experiment Satellite

Low-orbit quantum key distribution micro-nanosatellite

Electromagnetic force testing duo satellites

And Nan Yue Science Satellite, the satellite is used for soil moisture detection, sea surface wind field detection, data transmission and other scientific experiments, educational science, and research activities.

(Original source)

 

And Tianzhou-3, was re-entry into the atmosphere at 11:31pm Beijing time on 27 July under controlled conditions. “The vast majority of the ship's components have been ablated and destroyed, with a small amount of wreckage falling into predetermined safe waters in the South Pacific.”

The last two photos from Tianzhou-3:

(Via Weibo)

Until today, it has completed all its missions and has been in orbit for 310 days. Thank you, Tianzhou-3!

[steve9728]

CASC give an official explanation for why leave station days ago before the Wentian docking to the station but re-entry the Earth today:

 "Firstly, to verify the ability to fly with the core module, while leaving the docking safety channel for the Wentian Module; Secondly, if Wentian encounters anomalies on orbit, the Tianzhou-3 will dock with the core module and then perform an orbit transfer to assist the core module in completing its docking with Wentian, contributing its last bit to the construction of the space station"

[steve9728]

We have some progress on the CZ-5 DY.

The original Chinese news: "...This test is an important test to verify the key technology of the new generation of manned launch vehicle with multi-engine parallel connection and force transfer under the tank, and is an iconic work to transfer the model to the engineering development stage..."

And Chinese forum starting guessing about “What’s this sloping square thing?”

At right of the solar arrays. Some guessed a hanging point for large payloads, some guessed a deployable structure, and others guessed a flaw detector.

Edited July 29, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

CZ-2D rocket successfully launched a new group of three Yaogan (遥感, Remote Sensing)-35 satellites from Xichang launch center. According to the mission patch, seems like we have a de-orbit sail again on the upper stage:

[steve9728]

Cool! Looks like a Chinese character ‘土’ flying in the sky hahaha

Spoiler

The original meaning of the character ‘土(tǔ)’ is land, which also refers to soil. It is also derived from the word land to mean hometown, and from this to mean local and local, and from this to mean folk and folk-produced. In addition, ‘土’ also refers to that which is out of fashion or short-sighted.

 

Edited July 29, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

CCTV reported on some of the "hiccups" in the development of the CZ-5 rocket: footage of the rocket's engine exploding

https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1SS4y1t72Y?vd_source=6fef304b8d0c4737896e6b702ddfbfb3

Fast forward to 05:27. What the presenter said at this point: What we are looking at is one of the test runs where the engine, which had just been developed, exploded just after ignition. During the early stages of the development of the liquid oxygen/kerosene engine, there were four explosions, including this one.

Ge Lihu, the engine's chief designer: all of them blew up in a fraction of a second, and afterwards we couldn't even find a single "corpse" of the parts from the engine: we couldn't find out where it had gone. So, it was exceedingly difficult for us to analyse the test. Once you have found the "corpse" of the part, you can look at the friction marks, or where it was touched, or where it was hit, and you can analyse and deduce the corresponding conclusions. If you can't even find the "corpse", where can you start to analyse? As a chief designer, I exclaimed at that time that this engine was so difficult, how could I explain it?

Edited August 1, 2022 by steve9728

[steve9728]

We have a Chinese version of space station filming now

Given that the I quadrant is the airlock which once officially reported that it would always be pointed to the ground. This probably shows that the "sloping square thing" may have some kind of unfolding. But still, there's no one come out and introduce what's this to us.

[steve9728]

The small robotic arm finished its first test:

We can see the grapple fixture for the small robotic arm is significantly different with the bigger one. I read an article (but it has paywall) said this is for a more softly capture and more precise operations.

The one of the experiment racks in Wentian, has plant some dwarf rice - Xiao Wei (小薇) at the Life & Ecology Rack.

On 3/29/2022 at 8:33 PM, steve9728 said:

And also CNSA published the scientific research facilities on the space station:

This variety of rice is around 20 cm and goes up to 30 cm. Compared to conventional rice, it's of a more suitable size for growing in the space station.

 

Today is the seventh day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the Qixi Festival, which is perfect for launching rockets. Various kinds of rockets.

At morning we have the Go Mang (句芒) terrestrial ecosystem carbon monitoring satellite by CZ-4 Y40 rocket. Meanwhile it also carrying the Minhang Shaonian Xing (闵行少年星, Minhang Youth satellite) and Jiaotong-4 Xing (交通四号星, Traffic-4 satellite)

I like the mission patch for this one:

And we have another "Strongly suggest you don't ask question" object launch by CZ-2F in Jiuquan

[snip]

Edited August 4, 2022 by Snark
Redacted by moderator

[Snark]

Some content has been redacted and/or removed.  Please avoid posting politics to the KSP forum, folks.  It's against the rules, and never ends well.  Furthermore, if you see someone else posting politics... please just report it, and do not respond.  Responding just adds more to the mess that needs cleaning up.

Thank you for your understanding.

[SunlitZelkova]

China's spaceplane has successfully launched, becoming the second active reusable spaceplane in the world after the X-37B.

This is very likely a military spaceplane, unrelated from the civilian Tengyun spaceplane, despite bearing superficial resemblance.

[SunlitZelkova]

This is pretty weird. I don’t really know how to comment on it, I’m just pretty dumbfounded they would do this lol.