Latest news with #Mengzhou
AllAfrica
a day ago
- Science
- AllAfrica
China steps closer to landing on moon by 2030
China has successfully conducted an escape flight test on its lunar spacecraft Mengzhou, which means 'dream ship' in Mandarin. By 2030, the country plans to send three Chinese astronauts to land on the moon. It was the second zero-altitude escape flight test in 27 years, following the first one conducted by the Shenzhou manned spacecraft in 1998. Zero altitude means the test was performed on the ground instead of high in the air. The launch escape system or tower, powered by solid rocket motors (SRMs), was installed at the tip of the Mengzhou aircraft's return capsule. In an emergency during a launch, the capsule is to be separated from the rocket within two seconds whenever the system detects any abnormal situation. During the test on June 17, the integrated spacecraft and launch escape tower assembly ascended and reached its designated altitude in about 20 seconds. The return capsule separated from the escape tower and landed on the ground with a parachute in two minutes. According to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA), Mengzhou's escape and rescue subsystems are now centralized in the spacecraft. In Shenzhou's case, the rocket handled the escape functions. 'Mengzhou will become the core manned spacecraft sustaining the application and development of China's space station, manned lunar exploration, and other tasks,' said the CMSA. 'The successful test has laid an important technical foundation for the subsequent human-crewed lunar exploration missions.' The China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp (CASIC) Fourth Academy, the developer of the launch escape tower, said in a statement on June 24 that its team has achieved many breakthroughs in developing SRMs, which use solid propellants to generate thrust. It said such an achievement significantly improved Mengzhou's escape system compared with Shenzhou's. 'For the first time, we were responsible for developing the escape system's server using self-developed sensors and mechanics,' it said on June 24. 'We also developed the software and algorithms to control the SRMs, and used environmentally friendly rocket fuels.' 'We will continue to take practical actions to realize China's dream of sending people to the moon,' it said. In January 2022, the United States imposed sanctions on the CASIC Fourth Academy and accused it of acting contrary to US national security or foreign policy interests. After testing the escape system, CMSA's next key mission is to launch the Long March 10A rocket in 2026. China launched its uncrewed Chang'e 6 spacecraft to the moon in May last year using the Long March 5 rocket. Long March 5, nicknamed 'Fat Five,' has eight YF-100 rocket engines in four boosters, and two YF-77 engines on its first stage. Total thrust is 10,636 kilonewtons (kN). It can lift 25 tons to low Earth orbit (LEO), 14 tons to the geostationary transfer orbit (GTO) and 8 tons to the Earth-moon-transfer orbit, or trans-lunar injection (TLI) trajectory. Such lifting power is not enough to support China's crewed lunar mission. Long March 10 is an upgraded version of Long March 5. It has 14 YF-100 engines in two boosters and seven more on its first stage. The total thrust is 26,250 kN. It can lift 70 tons to LEO and 27 tons to TLI. The China National Space Administration (CNSA) planned to launch the Long March 10 in 2027. However, it said last November that it would launch the Long March 10A in 2026. The Long March 10A is the Long March 10 without two boosters. It can lift 14 tons, or a spacecraft with up to seven people, to LEO, and can be reused. 'The development of our next-generation crewed Long March 10 rocket is on schedule,' said Wang Yue, a researcher at the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp. 'We have achieved some breakthroughs in developing reusable rockets, and have already started producing the components. According to CNSA's plan, China will launch the Long March 10 thrice between 2027 and 2030. By 2030, the fourth and fifth launches will be a moon lander (Lanyue) and the Mengzhou spacecraft, respectively. None of these rockets will be reused. During the 2030 mission, the spacecraft carrying three astronauts will dock with the lander before landing on the moon. In 2023, CNSA decided to launch the lander and spacecraft separately, as its more powerful Long March 9 rocket will only be available after 2030. Some Chinese commentators said the lunar exploration mission of the Long March 10 will continue to expand after Chinese astronauts' landing on the moon. 'Landing on the moon is only a small part of our country's lunar exploration plan,' a Sichuan-based columnist writes in an article last month. 'We have a much bigger goal – to transform the moon into China's backyard.' 'After our astronauts reach the moon, our people will move and live there sooner or later,' he says. 'We will chat and have entertainment on the moon, treating the place like our backyard.' He says Chinese astronauts will build houses on the moon and frequently travel between the Earth and the moon. He says China will also use its space technology to boost ties with other countries and help send astronauts from different countries to the moon. Ultimately, China will discover how to extract water and make oxygen using resources on the moon. 'Our lunar plan keeps accelerating, while the United States keeps postponing its plan,' he says. 'It is possible that China will beat the US in sending people to the moon in this round of the space race.' On December 19, 1972, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) landed humans on the moon during the Apollo 17 mission. It plans to revisit the Moon in mid-2027 with the Artemis III mission. Two of four astronauts, including the first woman and first person of color, are to land on the Moon's South Pole for a week of scientific exploration. Read: US, China in hot race to put nuclear reactors on the moon
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.
South China Morning Post
18-06-2025
- Science
- South China Morning Post
Mengzhou spacecraft for China's moon-landing mission passes landmark test flight
China has completed the inaugural test flight of its next-generation Mengzhou crewed spacecraft , executing a critical zero-altitude escape trial at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in the Gobi Desert. Advertisement Developed for China's 2030 lunar ambitions , the modular Mengzhou spacecraft features two variants: a near-Earth version supporting space station operations with a seven-astronaut capacity and a deep-space model for lunar missions. Its reusable return capsule and advanced technologies place it among the world's most capable crew vehicles. 01:57 China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side China's Chang'e-6 mission returns to Earth with first samples from moon's far side At midday on Tuesday, the spacecraft's escape engines ignited while grounded at the launch complex. Within 20 seconds, the return capsule reached its designated altitude and cleanly separated from the escape tower as parachutes deployed. The capsule subsequently touched down within the predetermined landing zone using an airbag cushioning system, marking the test's success. This foundational safety verification – designed to ensure crew survive during rocket failures at lift-off – simulates emergencies in which astronauts must be rapidly extracted from danger zones during a vehicle's most vulnerable launch phase. Advertisement The achievement represents China's first such test since 1998, when a similar trial was conducted for the Shenzhou spacecraft programme.
United News of India
17-06-2025
- Science
- United News of India
China conducts successful escape flight on its new-gen manned spacecraft at zero altitude
Jiuquan, June 17 (UNI) China has reportedly conducted a successful escape flight test on its new-generation manned spacecraft Mengzhou at zero altitude on Tuesday, taking an important step forward in its manned lunar exploration program. The CNSA speaking of the program, wrote on its X, 'The China Manned Space Agency will conduct the "Dreamboat" spacecraft's zero-altitude and maximum dynamic pressure escape flight tests this year.' UNI XINHUA ANV ARN
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.
