Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, November 22 Question: Do you know the N things that make China a space power? – Uncovering a new blueprint for China’s space exploration dream
Xinhua News Agency reporters, Chen Fang, Yu Xiaojie, Hu Zhe
Tiangong, Tianyan, Wukong, Mozi… In the report of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, major breakthroughs in the aerospace field were "named". Aerospace powers "draw" a grand blueprint for building a modern socialist power in an all-round way.
The Beidou satellite navigation system has entered the era of global networking, and the Fengyun meteorological satellite "family" has added new members… In less than a month after the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, China’s aerospace activities have been frequent. Facing the future, what new wonders will China’s aerospace write?
Long March 8’s maiden flight, rocket recycling: China’s aerospace "major project" takes over
Aerospace powers usually have advanced space power and large-scale launches, and can carry out lunar sampling and return, Mars landing and exploration, and build and operate space stations. Behind these "landmark" events, a country’s advanced manufacturing capabilities in design, technology, and materials, as well as the ability to coordinate multi-system research such as probes, launch sites, and measurement and control.
On November 16, the Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation released the "2017-2045 Space Transportation System Development Roadmap", systematically planning the capacity building prospects and development blueprint of the Long March series of launch vehicles.
The Long March 8 will make its maiden flight in 2020, the heavy launch vehicle will make its maiden flight around 2030, the launch vehicle will be fully reused around 2035, the future generation of launch vehicles will be put into use around 2040, and the ability of large-scale man-machine collaborative exploration of space will be available in 2045…
Qin Xudong, deputy director of the General Office of the First Hospital of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, introduced that the roadmap issued this time is detailed and has clear goals, whether it is hot topics such as space tourism and recyclable rockets that the public is more concerned about, or future smart rockets, manned moon landings, manned Mars landings, etc.
In order to explore the mysteries of the starry sky, generation after generation of astronauts have continued to struggle, our country has successfully developed more than ten types of Long March series carrier rockets, forming satellites, spacecraft and other spacecraft to any orbit of the earth, with the carrying capacity to carry out lunar and deep space exploration, which has strongly supported the successful implementation of major national projects such as "manned spaceflight", "Beidou navigation" and "lunar exploration".
The white paper "2016 China’s Aerospace" shows that since 2011, China’s aerospace industry has continued to develop rapidly, with a significant increase in its independent innovation capabilities and a significant increase in its ability to enter space.
Wu Yanhua, deputy director of the State Administration of Science and Industry for National Defense and deputy director of the National Space Administration, said that over the past 60 years, China’s aerospace industry has achieved a series of brilliant achievements represented by "two bombs and one satellite", manned spaceflight, and lunar exploration. With China’s continuous research on key technologies such as heavy-duty rockets, non-toxic and non-polluting medium-sized rockets, and low-cost transportation rockets in the future, China’s ability to enter space will be further enhanced, and the pace of exploration of the vast universe will be faster and faster.
Beidou to navigate, the wind and clouds to know the sky: will space tourism still be far away?
China’s aerospace industry is getting stronger and stronger. Will the space tourism expected by ordinary people be far behind? According to the plan, suborbital space tourism will become a reality around 2025.
In the future, commercial solid launch vehicles will work together with liquid launch vehicles to provide users with diverse, low-cost, and highly reliable commercial launch services such as "space hitchhiker", "space shuttle", and "VIP special car", providing a richer range of vehicles for humanity to jointly explore the universe.
Tang Yagang, president of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation’s First Institute Rocket Company, introduced that by around 2035, our country’s launch vehicles will be fully reused, and more ordinary people can take two-stage reusable vehicles to travel in space, enjoy the vastness of space and the splendor of the earth in the earth’s orbit, and realize the dream of flying.
Whether it is the Beidou-3 satellite that "shocks the world" or the Fengyun-3 satellite that "watches the wind and clouds and knows the sky", a batch of "high-end" aerospace technology has gradually been "transformed" into a convenient "welfare": no matter where you are, "Beidou" will help you navigate; without leaving home, "Fengyun" will help you know the sky; surfing the Internet and making phone calls in a plane at an altitude of 10,000 meters is no longer a dream.
On November 15, our country’s first interferometric hyperspectral greenhouse gas monitor, the Suifengyun-3 satellite, successfully entered the scheduled orbit of space. This "eye" can not only observe a variety of atmospheric components, but also detect the change in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air by 4 parts per million, making it a powerful tool for scientists to study the carbon cycle. In its birthplace, the 508 Institute of the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, it is understood that it has ranked 156th among the "brothers and sisters" of remote sensors that enter space and operate in orbit from here.
"China’s aerospace industry has long been more than just a representative of the’tall ‘." Gao Hongwei, chairperson of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, believes that the needs and calls of the people are the voice of the times for scientific and technological progress and innovation. At present, more than 2,000 aerospace technology achievements in our country have benefited the national economy and people’s lives.
Mars and asteroids take turns to appear: the mystery of the starry sky never stops
Facing the future, there are still many "big moves" in our country’s aerospace industry. According to the relevant person in charge of the National Space Administration, in addition to continuing to implement existing projects, a number of new major aerospace projects will also be launched one after another, including deep space exploration projects represented by Mars exploration, asteroid exploration, planetary crossing exploration, and the much-watched "moon exploration project".
Lei Fanpei, chairperson of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that by 2020, our country strives to achieve more than 200 spacecraft in orbit and about 30 launches a year, basically reaching the level of the world’s aerospace powers.
"At present, 30% of our country’s aerospace technology indicators have reached the international first-class level. By 2030, we will strive to increase this figure to 60%, ranking among the top aerospace powers in the world; by 2045, we will fully become a world aerospace power." Lei Fanpei said.
According to the plan, the future of our country’s heavy launch vehicles will be close to 10 meters in diameter, will use the thrust of 500 tons of liquid oxygen kerosene engine and thrust of 220 tons of liquid hydrogen liquid oxygen engine. That is to say, the future of our country’s launch vehicle capacity from the current more than 20 tons to increase 4 to 5 times, to 100 tons.
Lu Yu, director of the Science and Technology Committee of the First Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, said that by around 2030, our country’s heavy-lift carrier rocket will achieve its first flight. At that time, our heavy-lift carrier rocket with a 100-ton carrying capacity in low-Earth orbit will provide strong support for manned moon landing and sufficient carrying capacity for Mars sampling return.
"If you don’t forget your original intention, you have to stay the same." Zhang Zhongyang, president of the Second Academy of China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, said that looking back on the past, China Aerospace has written countless wonderful moments in the sky of history; in the future journey, China Aerospace will definitely mark the new height of China’s development with new achievements.
