China has conducted two spacewalks from its Tiangong space station in few months and is moving on it lunar exploration projects with successful pad abort test of its crewed Mengzhou capsule.
An experimental spacecraft has made advances in space refueling.
CSA
China closed first half of year with 36 orbital launches carrying over 150 payloads to orbit a 20% increase in number of payloads launched by this time past year.
The next generation reusavle Chinese commercial rockets many of which utilize oxygen and methane as propellants are progressin gon their way to first lauches this year with multiple succeasful static fire and hop test.
The Tianzhou 9 cargo resupply mission is due to lauch after July 14 atop a Chang Zheng 7 from the Wenchang Space Launchhttps://marcopolosports.com/the-new-glenn-rocket-from-blue-origin-transforming-the-space-launch-sector/ Site.
With payload mass of 7400 kg the craft is estimated to dock at the aft port of the Tianhe core module and deliver food water and other cargo needed for Shenzhou 20 crew.
Taikonauts Chen Dong and Chen Zhonguri conducted second extra vehicula activity EVA of the Shenzhou 20 mission on June 26 spending almost six and half hour outside the station.
The pair exited the airlock on the Wentian module to instal debris protection onto Tiangong exterior.
They performed routine inspections and installed foot restraint adaptors which expected to save time on future spacewalks.
The two talkonauts once again used station robotic arm with help from crewmate Wang Jie within the Tianhe module.
The Shenzhou 20 crew has spent two aboard the station since arriving on April 24 and potential to equal current record of foru EVAs which conducted during Shenzhou 15 rotation in 2023.
To date 21 spacewalks have been conducted from station since the core Tianhe module launched four years ago in April 2021.
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Shijian 25 approached Shijian 21
Two Shijian spacecraft appear to have been rehearsing docking procedures in geostationary orbit GEO during June.
The Shijian 25 intercepto craft which launched in January from Xichang is refueing and life extension show.
The spacecraft was seen to approach another in China technology demonstration family Shijian 21 several times past month.
Shijian 21 was launched over three and half year ago to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies.
In January 2022 it relocated the inactive BeiDou 2 G2 satellite from GEO at altitude of 35876 km into higher graveyard orbit 300 km above GEO.
Shijian 21 have robotic arms though its tool remain undisclosed.
If there will be official statement regarding these latest operations.
Fluid transfer in microgravity is technically challenging as its autonomous docking between two uncrewed vehicles.
Northrop Grumman is planning to launch same satellite with two robotic arms to GEO next year dubbed the MRV.
MRV wil use its arm to inspect refuel relocate and repair or assemble satellites in orbit.
The two Shijian satellites conducted latest round of close proximity operations on Monday June 30.
The pair had approached within a km of each other for no larger than 90 minutes in mid june suggesting attack may have been rehearsals or even aborted attempt.
Shijian 25 has robot arms that latch onto its target when two are within meters of each other at which point it dock and try to refuel its target.
Satellte tracking companies in space situational awareness SSA sector like s2a noted that during june 30th test two satelittes were close to be indistinquishable for each other.
The US army USA 270 and USA 271 SSA satellites had been flanking the couple in orbit probable to monitor these maneuvers.
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Chinese reusable rockets continue to move to first launches
New reusable lauch vehicle remain on track for debut in second half of this year.
Additional pads are constructed at Hainan Commercial spaceport in Wenchang companies consisting Space Pioneer, CAS space, Galactic Energy, Landscape are building on expanding own facilities at JSLC.
The Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Test Area has become central hub for commercial launches with pads to south and east to site primary laucnch area 4 complex famous as South Lauch Site SLS.
LandSpace performed static fires of both first and second stage of SS ZhuQue-3 rocket in June.
The company has goal to fly the 4.5 m diameter rocket up to three time this year and 12 time in 2026 consisting its first reflown booster.
The vehicle will stand 766 m high with 5.2 m diameter fairing when fully assembled.
Orienspace is expected to start production of its Yinli 2 rocket following completion of wind tunnel test on scale model.
The 4.2 m diameter partially reusable vehicle will stand 70m tall with 5.2 m diameter fairing.
Garvity 2 is expected to carry 16000 kg to LEO. The first stage will be powered by nine Yuanli 85 engines burning liquid kerosene and oxygen in gas generator cycle.
It has been 16 months since first and only lauch of Gravity 1 in January 2024.
Second vehicle was assembled this May and expected to launch later this summer.
Galactic Energy expects to perform static fire test and debut to launch its two stage Zhishexing-1 Pallas-1 launch vehilce in late 2025.
Multiple verification test have been conducted and company is making progres on first flight hardware at its facility in Anhui,
The partially reusable vehicle will lauch from Hainan Commercial Spaceport in Wenchang and expected to lift 8000 kg to LEO with first stage booster said to capable of up to 25 flights.
Beijing based ispace expects to fly new Shuang Quxian 3 in December this year and to have reflown a booster by next summer.
The vehicle tank passed cryogenic testing in Aprila and ispace is developing its engine testing facility to verify the restartable focus-1 engines which burn liquid methane and liquid oxygen propellants.
First flights will utilize the Tianque 12A engines which will capable of lifting 8000 kg to LEO when landing the first stage or 11800 kg when expended.
Variants of the ZQ-3 will employ more powerful Tianque 12 B on first stage permitting the vehicle to loft 21,300 kg to LEO.
Both engines burn liquid methane and liquid oxygen as propellant and designe to be reused at least 20 times.
The first stage was tested on same pad from which vehicle will launch.
It may be used in future this test hardware will not be utilize for maiden flight.
The final stacked vehicle will instead be transported horizontally to new lauch pad via transport erector. with payload then integrated via crane from launch tower.
June static fires follow succesful 10 km VTVL hop test of ZhuQue-3 test article past september.
This verified avionice reaction control system and grid fins as well as engine relight capabilities while in flight.
The test allowed Landspace to narrowly beat Deep Blue Aersopace whose altitude test of the Xingyun=1 took place just weeks later.
A harder than intended landing during that test delayed the maiden launch of rocket.
CAS Space performed static fire test on first and second stages of its forthcoming Lijian-2. The separate test fired both sea level and vacuum optimized YF-102 engines, simulating full flight duration burn at company dedicated facility in Conghua.
The maiden flight is planned for September when it is expected to carry opening Qingzhou 1 Cargo craft a low cost Solution to resupply the Tiangong Space Station and result of one of first two commercial resupply contracts awarded by CMSA.
The company has been developing launch infrastructure at JSLC for almost a year including transport erector testing which recently conducted in April.
First flights of two stage Lijian 2 will be flown in configuration with reusable variant anticipated by 2028.
When the third stage of Lijian 1 lost attitude control last december payload including AZSPACE DEAR-3 prototype recoverable science experimentation spacecraft were lost.
The more advance DEAR-5 based on AZSPACE B300 platform is expected to launch aboard an Expace Kuaizhu 11 in August.
The system is manufacture to carry payloads of upto 300 kg to orbit for upto year.
CSA
Mengzhou completes pad abort test
China gained a mega achievement in its crewed lunar exploration program past month.
The successful pad escape test of its forthcoming Mengzhou crew capsule took place on June 17 at Static ground pad setup within the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center JSLC.
The test craft lifted off the pad for almost 20 seconds under power of launch escape tower five solid rocket motors.
Drogue and main parachutes deployed following detachment of escape tower and craft touched down in two minuted after ignition wiht airbags cushioning the landing.
This was third test for Mengzhou program and verified that capsule and crew could exit from rocket in event of emergency on launch pad.
The recent zero altitude escape flight test as they are referred to in China happened over 26 year ago for Shenzhou spacecraft in October 1998.
A second escape test is planned for later this year which will verify ability two abort during powered ascent while maximum aerodynamic pressure or max Q SpaceX simliarly conducted in flight abort test for Crew Dragon in early 2020.
Mengzhou whic translated to dream vessel shows a mega leap in design over Shenzhou and will carry up to seven taikonauts.
The spacecrafts is being developed in two variants.
The first will replace the current Shenzhou crew capsule for mission to Tiangong in low Earth Orbit LEO and will launch aboard two stage Chang Zheng 1o A CZ-10A rocket.
Following June successful pad abort test the China Manned Space Agency CMSA reported that it remains on track to put boots on lunar surface by 2030.
The maiden flight of CZ-10A is expected next year with CZ-10 and crew rated Mengzhou following in 2027.
The second variant will carry thre taikonauts on mission to Moon where it will used wiht Lanyue translating to embracing the moon lunar lander.
Vehicle will launched separately atop the forthcoming three stage Chang Zheng 10 CZ-10 heavy rocket which will help by two side boosters.
CSA
Space Epoch Conduct hop test
Following succesful 2.5 km vertical takeoff vertiacal landing VTVL test and splashdown on its stainless steel Yuanxingzhe 1 prototype off the coast of Haiyang on May 29 space Epoch has confirmed the vehicle is in good form and will now be disassembled for inspection.
The test article measured 4.2 m in diameter and 27 m in lenght. As intended the vehilce completed its short hop test with graceful landing on water after which it pitched into horizontal position.
It was later towed to shore and recovered through cranes before trucked to company facility in Haiyang.
Space Epoch has noted the vehicel sustained no major damage and could fly again.
Flight hardware is intended to be recovered this way in future which include post flight inspection and processing to remove seawater.
To verify reusability the prototype is expected to reassembled and static fired though there is doubt this article will fly again.
The company is moving directly to orbital launch attempt later this year.
The vehicle sportef the logo of Taobao one of chine mega ecommerce sites on its body.
Taobao revealed partnership previous year hew utilize the Yuanxingzhe 1 for point to point cargo deliveries in future housed within waterproofed section of vehicle first stage
A non fragile test payload massing 20 kg was flown on this VTVL test and retreived during recovery method.
Tianwen 2 travels into deep space Tianwen 3 development continues
The Tianwen 2 mission launched on May 28 from Xichang is over 12 million km away from Earth as it continues its journey to rendezvous with asteroid Kamo oalewa next summer.
The China Nationak Space Administration CNSA has share pictures taken by satellite Asteroid Narrown Angle Camera representing Earth and Moon from distance of 590,000 Km.
An image was shared in june showing one of deployed solar panels.
Other picutes or renders of the craft have been scarce.
The landing sit is still unidentified three strong contender have been higlighted in Nature news.
The lander scooping samples from Martian surface also notes that drill will extract subsurface material from up to two meter below surface.
The drone will gather loose rocks with operational range exceeding 100m.
Last Septembe the launch date for Tianwen 3 Mars sample comeback mission was moved to 2028.
Based on presentation slide share on social media in 2023 the mission intends to consist a helicopter like drone similar to NASA Ingenuity and sixe legged robotic rover.
Two launches aboard Chang Zheng 5 CZ-5 rockets woul required to transport lander and launches aboard Chang Zheng 5 CZ-5 rockets would required to transport lander and ascent craft as well as Mars orbiter and Earth return vehicle into orbit separately.
If the project is successful and remain on track almost 500 g of samples could be returned to Earht in 2031.
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