Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

“Planned new rocket carries hope for China’s manned lunar landing program,” is the headline on a China Global Television Network (CGTN) story.

The Xinhua news agency-sourced story notes that Chinese space engineers have taken a key step in designing a new generation launch vehicle that could help start China’s manned lunar exploration program, citing the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC).

A pre-study for the carrier rocket, conducted by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) under the CASC, has passed a review by the China Manned Space Agency.

The mega-booster is to be about 285 feet (87 meters) long, having a liftoff weight of roughly 2,200 tons. It could carry payloads of more than 25 tons to the lunar transfer orbit and would have a new escape system to improve astronaut safety, the Xinhua story explains. “China is pushing forward the pre-study of a manned lunar landing program,” the posting notes.

Long March-5 booster’s first liftoff occurred in early November 2016. Mishap on launcher’s second flight in July 2017. Progress for a return-to-flight Long March-5 mission appears to be underway for possible flight late this year.
Credit: CASC

Grand road map

In a similar story, China Daily reports today that the new booster is almost twice as tall as the Long March 5, currently the largest of China’s booster series.

“China is making a grand road map for its manned lunar programs,” the China Daily story explains, citing China Space News, the flagship newspaper in the country’s space industry.

“However, the maximum carrying capacity of any existing Chinese rocket on a lunar transfer trajectory – the gateway for spacecraft to the Moon – is only 8 tons, which is just enough for robotic missions. To fulfill manned missions, Chinese scientists have to develop a mightier rocket to transport the country’s new-generation manned spacecraft,” the newspaper explained.

Credit: CNSA/China News Service Screengrab

According to China Daily, Hu Xiaojun, a rocket researcher at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, said earlier that over the long term the new rocket will be used in conjunction with the Long March 9 – a rocket that is also under development at his academy and that will be China’s most powerful rocket – to transport construction materials to the Moon for a permanent base.