Latest news with #CMSEO
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China Nails Pad Abort Test for Next-Gen Taikonaut Capsule
The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) announced a successful test of its pad-abort system for the in-development Mengzhou spacecraft this week. This represents an important step in China's plans to send taikonauts to the Moon's surface sometime in the next few years, though there are still many steps between this and an eventual lunar mission. Like the USA and several other countries, China has expressed a growing interest in a manned mission to the Moon in the coming years, in what would be the first human feet to touch down on the celestial body in over five decades. This 21st-century space race could be important for setting the tone of the industrialization of space and future missions to Mars and beyond. That's a long way off for now, with China still developing the Long March 10 rocket and the Lanyue lunar lander, both of which would be integral parts of any future lunar missions. In the near term, though, the CMSEO is working on the safety features of its Mengzhou spacecraft, which would carry future taikonauts into low Earth orbit and beyond. On June 17, the Mengzhou successfully fired its solid rocket escape engines from the launch pad, firing the craft up and away from the launch facility, before triggering three descent parachutes. The craft then safely touched down a few minutes later using self-deployed air cushions. The CMSEO claimed the test was a "complete success," as per in the video above, you can see the craft tip over after landing, which probably wasn't intended. Still, this test shows the functionality of the safety system that would kick in should any future launches of manned missions encounter dangerous conditions on the launchpad, where the lives of the taikonauts are in danger. If such an event occurred, the safety system would kick in and tear the manned capsule from the rocket assembly, launching it far from the rocket and allowing the crew to return safely to Earth, regardless of what happens to the rest of the spacecraft. This puts CMSEO one step closer to its lunar missions goals, even if those are still a long way off. The next step will likely be a test in-flight, or at least at altitude, confirming that the abort system can still function at higher atmospheric pressures and speeds. NASA is also pushing for manned Moon missions in the next decade, but doubts have been raised over the plans since the Trump administration is recommending budgets that would push for the cancellation of the Space Launch System and the Orion spacecraft, which was designed to carry next-generation astronauts to the Moon. That puts into doubt the Artemis 3 mission, which is currently slated for 2027. Perhaps new spacecraft fees could help bolster budgets enough to compensate.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China's next-gen astronaut capsule for moon missions aces crucial pad-abort test (video)
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. China is advancing the development of the technology it needs to try to beat NASA back to the moon. The China Manned Space Engineering Office (CMSEO) completed a pad abort test of its Mengzhou spacecraft today (June 17), marking another step forward in its efforts to send Chinese astronauts, or taikonauts, to the lunar surface for the first time. The zero-altitude escape sequence was initiated at 12:30 p.m. Beijing time (12:30 a.m. EDT; 0430 GMT), from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China. With just the Mengzhou spacecraft on the pad (no rocket), the solid rocket escape engines on the capsule's abort tower fired for approximately 20 seconds, according to CMSEO. At altitude, Mengzhou's escape tower was jettisoned, and a trio of parachutes guided the spacecraft safely back to the desert surface, touching down with an airbag cushion at 12:32 p.m. BJT (12:32 a.m. EDT; 0432 GMT). CMSEO called the test "a complete success." Tests like this allow spacecraft engineers to verify safety systems of new spacecraft without putting crews' lives on the line. In the event of an in-flight emergency during an actual launch, Mengzhou's capsule escape tower is designed to propel the spacecraft away from the rocket in order to put a safe distance between the crew and potential disaster. The capability has been built into nearly every spacecraft designed to transport crews since the beginning of spaceflight. NASA's Orion spacecraft, responsible for ferrying astronauts to the moon as a part of the U.S. space agency's Artemis program, underwent a similar test in 2019. While China is slightly behind in its progress, the nation's efforts to beat the U.S. back to the moon may be gaining momentum just as NASA's own plans for a lunar return run into a speed bump. The White House's proposed 2026 NASA budget leaves much of the Artemis program's future in question. For example, it calls for the cancellation of Orion and the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket responsible for launching the spacecraft after the Artemis 3 moon-landing mission, which is currently targeted for 2027. Related Stories: — 'We're in a space race.' NASA chief says US 'better watch out' for China's moon goals — How China plans to put astronauts on the moon by 2030 (video) — How China will land astronauts on the moon by 2030 The likely next step for Mengzhou will be an in-flight abort test, carried higher in altitude by one of China's Long March rockets. The country is developing the Long March 10 for Mengzhou's operational missions, which will be capable of flying crews to low Earth orbit and orbit around the moon in conjunction with its Lanyue lunar lander, which is also under development.
