Latest news with #LongMarch10
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
28-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
China says it is on track to put boots on Moon by 2030 as Nasa's Artemis struggles with delay
China's plans to put boots on the Moon by 2030 are on track with tests proceeding as per schedule, the country's space agency said, following an early trial of its lunar landing spacecraft last week. The Asian giant's timeline to land astronauts back on the Moon is still behind the schedule of Nasa's Artemis II crewed mission, which has been delayed until 2027. Last week, China's space agency announced the successful trial of its prototype Mengzhou next-generation reusable spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar surface lander, adding that their development was 'progressing smoothly', SCMP reported. In subsequent months, the space agency plans to test the safety and reliability of the country's three-stage superheavy rocket, Long March 10, as well as the Mengzhou spacecraft. Mengzhou has two modules, one that would return to Earth, and another expendable module to provide propulsion, power and life support for a crew of about six astronauts while they are in space. 'The Long March 10 and Mengzhou spacecraft are carrying out prototype development and testing as planned,' said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Further ground tests would also assess the spacecraft's emergency escape systems, developed to get the crew to safety in the event of a launch failure. In earlier reports, the space agency said it expected the spacecraft to attain crewed flight capability around 2027-2028. 'We will strive to ensure the successful completion of all tests to lay a solid foundation for launching humans to the moon as scheduled,' the CMSA deputy director said. Meanwhile, Nasa's Artemis III crewed mission to the lunar surface has been facing a series of delays. Both the Chinese and American missions are aiming for a landing near the lunar south pole thought to be rich in water-ice, a resource critical for establishing bases. Nasa announced in December that its mission to put boots on the Moon would be delayed to mid-2027, after problems were discovered with the heat shield on its Orion spacecraft. Extensive tests found that material on the spacecraft's heat shield wore away differently than expected. The heat shield is supposed to provide thermal protection for Orion's crew from the nearly 2,760 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit) of temperatures generated when Orion returns through Earth's atmosphere. The American space agency has been testing changes to Orion's trajectory and enhancements to the heat shield to ensure the spacecraft can keep the crew safe. 'The updates to our mission plans are a positive step toward ensuring we can safely accomplish our objectives at the Moon and develop the technologies and capabilities needed for crewed Mars missions,' said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator for Nasa's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
The Independent
28-04-2025
- Science
- The Independent
China says it is on track to put boots on Moon by 2030 as Nasa's Artemis struggles with delay
China 's plans to put boots on the Moon by 2030 are on track with tests proceeding as per schedule, the country's space agency said, following an early trial of its lunar landing spacecraft last week. The Asian giant's timeline to land astronauts back on the Moon is still behind the schedule of Nasa 's Artemis II crewed mission, which has been delayed until 2027. Last week, China's space agency announced the successful trial of its prototype Mengzhou next-generation reusable spacecraft and the Lanyue lunar surface lander, adding that their development was 'progressing smoothly', SCMP reported. In subsequent months, the space agency plans to test the safety and reliability of the country's three-stage superheavy rocket, Long March 10, as well as the Mengzhou spacecraft. Mengzhou has two modules, one that would return to Earth, and another expendable module to provide propulsion, power and life support for a crew of about six astronauts while they are in space. 'The Long March 10 and Mengzhou spacecraft are carrying out prototype development and testing as planned,' said Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA). Further ground tests would also assess the spacecraft's emergency escape systems, developed to get the crew to safety in the event of a launch failure. In earlier reports, the space agency said it expected the spacecraft to attain crewed flight capability around 2027-2028. 'We will strive to ensure the successful completion of all tests to lay a solid foundation for launching humans to the moon as scheduled,' the CMSA deputy director said. Meanwhile, Nasa's Artemis III crewed mission to the lunar surface has been facing a series of delays. Both the Chinese and American missions are aiming for a landing near the lunar south pole thought to be rich in water-ice, a resource critical for establishing bases. Nasa announced in December that its mission to put boots on the Moon would be delayed to mid-2027, after problems were discovered with the heat shield on its Orion spacecraft. Extensive tests found that material on the spacecraft's heat shield wore away differently than expected. The heat shield is supposed to provide thermal protection for Orion's crew from the nearly 2,760 degrees Celsius (5,000 degrees Fahrenheit) of temperatures generated when Orion returns through Earth's atmosphere. The American space agency has been testing changes to Orion's trajectory and enhancements to the heat shield to ensure the spacecraft can keep the crew safe. 'The updates to our mission plans are a positive step toward ensuring we can safely accomplish our objectives at the Moon and develop the technologies and capabilities needed for crewed Mars missions,' said Catherine Koerner, associate administrator for Nasa's Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate.
South China Morning Post
23-04-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
China's moon shot: 2030 crewed lunar mission tests on pace, space agency says
China's plans to put astronauts on the moon by 2030 remain on track with large-scale tests proceeding 'as scheduled', following the completion of early trials for lunar landing spacecraft duo Mengzhou and Lanyue, according to Chinese space authorities. Advertisement The current timeline to land the first humans on the moon this century still placed China's space programme behind the United States. 'The overall development of various manned lunar missions … is progressing smoothly. The Long March 10 and Mengzhou spacecraft are carrying out prototype development and testing as planned,' Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), said on Wednesday. Component tests that have been completed for the crewed lunar mission include thermal evaluations of the Lanyue lunar lander, which will transport crew members from the spacecraft to the moon's surface. The agency was set to conduct the first comprehensive assessments of mission components, Lin said during an event to announce the Shenzhou 20 mission to China's Tiangong space station, which was expected to launch on Thursday. Advertisement
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
US Space Force releases first image of X-37B after its seventh mission
The US Space Force has revealed the first images of its secretive X-37B space plane, which has been in orbit for more than a year. With the release of this photo, the X-37B has achieved another milestone, becoming the first public image of the space plane in orbit. While the photo provides little information about the vehicle or its current experiments, it shows Earth far in the background, emphasizing the vehicle's high altitude on its seventh mission. As the X-37B prepared for its current mission, the U.S. Space Force revealed that the flight would involve operating the reusable spaceplane in new orbital regimes, testing future space domain awareness technologies, and studying the radiation effects on materials provided by NASA. 'An X-37B onboard camera, used to ensure the health and safety of the vehicle, captures an image of Earth while conducting experiments in HEO in X-37B executed a series of first-of-kind maneuvers, called aerobraking, to safely change its orbit using minimal fuel,' the Space Force wrote on X. Previous X-37B missions took place in low Earth orbit, but as this photo shows, the spaceplane is now operating much farther from Earth. SpaceX's Falcon Heavy is capable of launching payloads into geosynchronous orbit, which is over 22,000 miles (35,000 km) above the planet, Space reported. Although the U.S. Space Force has been secretive about the X-37B's activities during its long missions, it is known to serve as a test platform for new space technologies. The spaceplane has hosted payloads to test solar power beaming from space, thermal protection systems, and autonomous flight capabilities. According to the Space Force, the X-37B is the "most advanced re-entry spacecraft," focused on risk reduction, experimentation, and developing operational concepts for reusable space vehicle technologies. The X-37B set a record by flying for 908 days during its sixth mission, which ended with a landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on November 12, 2022. However, the exact return date for the spaceplane and the conclusion of its seventh mission remains unknown. One of the U.S.'s main space rivals, China, is testing its own reusable spaceplane, which launched on its third mission just two weeks before the X-37B's most recent flight. The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) also completed key engine tests on its reusable rocket engine. The 130-ton reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine, developed by CASC's Sixth Academy, is designed to power CASC's reusable rockets, including the Long March 10. CASC has reportedly completed 15 repeated tests and 30 ignition starts on its new engine, with a total test duration of over 3,900 seconds. According to Chinese authorities, these 15 repeated tests have broken China's previous record for liquid rocket main engine testing. The research team behind the tests asserted that the 130-ton reusable liquid oxygen kerosene engine is highly reliable and offers strong expandability. To ensure its efficiency as a reusable engine, Chinese scientists focused on mastering multiple ignitions, large-range thrust adjustments, and other advanced technologies.
