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December 4th, 2022
Image credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s three-person Shenzhou-14 crew returned to Earth on Sunday night (Beijing Time) after fulfilling a six-month mission, turning over the keys to the country’s Heavenly Palace orbital facility to their Shenzhou-15 colleagues in space.
The return capsule of the Shenzhou-14 manned spaceship, carrying astronauts Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe, touched the ground at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia. They were launched back on June 5 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China and carried out the longest mission to date by any Chinese space crew.
Image credit: CCTV/CMSA/Inside Outer Space screengrab
During the past 183 days, the trio of taikonauts completed multiple tasks including the first in-orbit docking of two 20-ton space modules –Wentian and Mengtian labs — and the first two-hour fast autonomous docking of a cargo spaceship.
Credit: Taikonaut Liu Yang following Gobi Desert landing.
Credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
For video focused on the returning crew, go to:
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Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China’s Shenzhou-14 astronauts are returning to Earth on Sunday, December 4th, but the welcoming ground recovery teams face super-cold conditions at the Gobi Desert landing site.
According to the China Central Television (CCTV) the taikonaut trio — Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe — are landing at night at a temperature of minus 25 degrees Celsius. It’s also the first time for the on-site team to conduct search and rescue at night.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
A final all-system, comprehensive recovery drill for the end of the Shenzhou-14 mission was carried out on Thursday night at the Dongfeng landing site in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.
A dozen search and rescue teams, five helicopter and more than 60 vehicles set out to their designated areas from the rendezvous point, CCTV reports.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
All-system drill
“Earlier, we did intensive trainings according to terrain and weather conditions in the mission area, on equipment use and the skills and physical and mental health conditions of our helicopter pilots. At present, the personnel and equipment are tuned to the best conditions,” said Chen Shi, commander of the search and rescue team.
The astronaut medical support team, an important part of the landing site system, has been training in their position for a month.
“Through this full-simulation all-system drill, we will genuinely do a scrupulous, reliable job in medical support throughout the entire landing process,” said Xu Chong, director of astronaut medical supervision and support office at the China Astronaut Research and Training Center.
Image credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
In-orbit lifespan
“The current arrangement is for the astronauts to return in the same spacecraft that they used when fling to space, since they are most familiar with the state of that spacecraft. In addition, our spacecraft itself has an in-orbit lifespan,” said Ren Changwei, chief designer of general assembly of manned space program with the China Academy of Space Technology.
“Currently, the designed in-orbit lifespan of the spacecraft is no less than six months,” said Ren. “As Shenzhou-14 has basically reached its normal life expectancy, the astronauts will take this spacecraft to return.”
The Shenzhou-14 crew. Credit: China National Space Administration (CNSA)/China Central Television (CCTV)
Toughest recovery
“We have undertaken a dozen missions of searching and retrieving Shenzhou spacecraft returning capsules, and this would be the toughest one in my opinion. The extreme temperature can be as low as around minus 26 degree Celsius, and the low temperature will make some troubles for our equipment and for all the personnel involved physically,” said Chen, commander of the recovery team.
The helicopter search and rescue team has finished 14 rounds of training on night flying and landing. The ground searching squad also carried out readiness appraisals for quick reaction at night.
“We have carried out a four-phase intensified training for four weeks in a row since entering the site. So far, our flight duration has topped 80 hours, and our aim is to adapt our pilots to varying complicated and difficult conditions, and we surely have the confidence to bring our heroic astronauts back to the arms of our mother country both safely and warmly,” Chen said.
Shenzhou-14, Shenzhou-15 crew members in handover ceremony.
Credit: CMS/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Crew handover
The Shenzhou-14 taikonauts were launched on June 5 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.
Six months later, the Shenzhou-14 crew achieved a number of firsts, including the first in-orbit docking of two 20-ton space modules, the Wentian and Mengtian, and the first two-hour fast autonomous docking of a cargo spaceship. The crew coordinated with the ground to finish building the basic structure of the T-shaped space station.
T-shape configuration of China space station.
Credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Early on Wednesday morning, six taikonauts of the Shenzhou-14 and -15 missions had their historic gathering in the China Space Station, marking a first in China’s aerospace history, after the Shenzhou-15 piloted spacecraft was launched.
The Shenzhou-15 commander Fei Junlong, along with two newcomers, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu – made a 6.5 hours long “fast automated rendezvous and docking” with the country’s orbital complex on November 30.
The handover in orbit, from the three Shenzhou-14 crew to the Shenzhou-15 crew, was set to take about five days.
For videos detailing the Shenzhou-14 landing preparations, go to:
Image credit: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Do you know that more than 76% of lungs/heart harvested for transplantation are discarded? By the time the organs reach the patient it is too late for a successful transplant.
Here’s the solution offered by Canada’s Space Engine Systems (SES) of Edmonton, Alberta: Hypersonic flight, point-to-point, for fast delivery of vital replacement organs.
SES has built in the requirement to get lungs within 4 hours from anywhere in the world, fast tracking this application into its Hello-1 Point to Point system.
“It is about saving lives,” explains an SES press statement.
Point-to-point – rapid delivery of replacement organs.
Image credit: Space Engine Systems (SES)
Turbo-ram jet
SES has successfully tested its turbo-ram jet in 2021 and further testing with multiple fuels including hydrogen was completed in 2022.
The group adds that SES built the world’s first mobile turbo-ram jet test facility of 25,000 lb. force (111 kN), and is also building the world’s first full scale high temperature (1420 °C, 2588 °F) wing bending test facility. That facility can heat up a 72 feet Hello-1 X to replicate the full hypersonic temperature and simulate the conditions during the wing bending to complete failure testing.
Image credit: Space Engine Systems (SES)
The Hello-1 X is a demonstrator which will go to around 20 miles (32 kilometers) altitude, reaching up to Mach 5 using a turbo ram jet with a cryogenic cooling system. Hello-1 X is a piloted vehicle with an auto-pilot option “making it very flexible for regulatory approval bodies to see the redundant systems for safety,” adds the company statement.
For more information on Space Engine Systems and its multi-faceted plans, go to:
Also, go to this company video at:
Credit: GLOBALink/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The crew of China’s Shenzhou-14 mission is returning to Earth in the coming days, parachuting into the Dongfeng landing site in north China.
According to the China Global Television Network (CGTN), recovery teams are busily practicing for the return of the Shenzhou-14 crew after their 6 month stint in space.
The ground team, helicopter team, and airlift team have completed preparations and are ready for the recovery task, reports CGTN.
China’s six-person crew onboard the country’s orbital complex.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Up in orbit
Meanwhile, the Shenzhou-14 and Shenzhou-15 crews, adding up to six in number, have been busy handling item storage, replacement of consumables and daily experiments, said Jin Jian, deputy chief designer of the space station system.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“Some products such as consumables will expire in a few weeks or months. The typical examples are the air filters and water filters. Just like we replace the filters in water dispensers on the ground, the new crew need to know when to change the filters. Besides, many scientific experiments are under way in the space station every day and should not be interrupted. So, the new crew need to know how to continue the experiments,” Jin said in a China Central Television (CCTV) interview.
Long-term residence
Jin said the regenerative environmental control and life support system of the space station will adjust to the increased number of astronauts on board. That includes handling the recycling of water and other consumable resources to ensure the long-term residence of astronauts in orbit.
T-shape configuration of China space station.
Credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“We need to adjust the control and collection of condensed water for the current six astronauts on board, not the previous three ones. With increased astronauts on board, we need to keep the indicators such as air temperature and humidity within the requirements,” Jin told CCTV.
“So, the working modes of these systems will be adjusted accordingly. But we have already considered and tested the different working modes for three or six people on the space station during the development on the ground. So, we are very confident that all the working modes will meet the demands for the six astronauts,” Jin concluded.
Go to these new videos at:
GIMBAL/“Tic Tac”
Credit: DOD/U.S. Navy
A university history professor developed a virtual classroom lecture series that probed the history, evolution, and impacts on society of the Unidentified Flying Object phenomenon.
The intent of the five-part course was not to prove true believers or skeptics of ET visitation are right.
Rather, the series goal was to develop a deeper understanding of the UFO enigma and the social, political, and cultural developments that now shape it and not pick sides.
Courtesy: CIA
“But lost in the hype and ruckus is the question of when this all started and how we got to this point,” states the course outline.
For more information on this UFO lecture series, go to my new Space.com story – “UFOs 101: Hype, uproar, disinformation and mystery: ‘Here we go again.’” – at:
https://www.space.com/ufos-101-hype-uproar-disinformation-mystery
Image credit: Michaela Musilova/HI-SEAS
Mars researchers are keeping their fingers crossed concerning the new lava flow in Hawaii – perhaps endangering the Hawai‘i Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) site.
HI-SEAS is a Mars and Moon exploration analog research station, currently operated by the International MoonBase Alliance.
Flow front
According to a Facebook posting by Michaela Musilova, former HI-SEAS Director (2018–2022):
“I’m still keeping my fingers crossed that the HI-SEAS station will survive the current Mauna Loa eruption. It was spared a couple of days ago when a big lava flow front came within a mile of the station.”
Image credit: USGS/Hawaiian Volcano Observatory
More recently, it appeared that another flow front was coming straight towards the habitat.
Musilova reports that the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory shared an image from one of their webcams “and it does not look promising for Hawaii Space Exploration Analog & Simulation. I remain hopeful that the ridge next to the HI-SEAS habitat may protect it, but it’ll depend on a number of factors, such as the direction and speed of the lava flow(s). Here’s hoping for the best!”
Image credit: Hi-SEAS/Michaela Musilova
Analog space missions
HI-SEAS is situated at approximately 8,200 feet above sea level.
The HI-SEAS habitat is a 1,200 square foot dome located on a Mars-like site on the Mauna Loa volcano on Hawai‘i Island.
HI-SEAS has been the home to long-duration (4 to 12 month) NASA Mars simulation missions and tens of other analog space missions in collaboration with multiple space agencies, companies, and organizations worldwide.
As detailed by the HI-SEAS website, the habitat is semi-portable, low-impact and designed to have all the desirable analog features. It has a habitable volume of roughly 13,000 cubic feet, a usable floor space of approximately 1,200 square feet and small sleeping quarters for a crew of six, as well as a kitchen, laboratory, bathroom, simulated airlock and engineering bay area.
Lava tube exploration. Image credit: Michaela Musilova
Habitat risk
“As it happens, I was there in September with a group of researchers from NASA Goddard who were studying a lava tube near the habitat,” said Carol Stoker, a planetary scientist at the space agency’s Ames Research Center.
The habitat sits on a ridge created by a previous vent. The hab is a metal geodesic dome covered by a fabric cover, Stoker told Inside Outer Space.
“I suspect the biggest risk is heat from a nearby flow damaging the cover unless the old vent becomes active again. If that happens, all is lost,” Stoker added.
Map showing the recent flow (dark red) the new flow (dotted line). The yellow dot is Hi Seas and the blue dot is the lava tube a NASA Goddard team was studying. Image credit: USGS, courtesy Carol Stoker
Credit: USGS
Also, go to this KITV Island Television report at:
For more information on HI-SEAS, go to:
On the prowl and cupping a high-tech ear to eavesdrop on ET – a new signal search is underway using the Southern Hemisphere’s biggest radio telescope.
Breakthrough Listen – the initiative to find signs of intelligent life in the universe – announced today the start of observations using a powerful new instrument deployed to the MeerKAT radio telescope in the remote Karoo region of South Africa.
This is a new search for technosignatures – indicators of technology developed by extraterrestrial intelligence – and expands the number of targets searched by a factor of 1,000, according to a Breakthrough Listen statement.
New approach
The new approach complements Breakthrough Listen’s ongoing searches using the Green Bank Telescope (GBT) in the USA, the Parkes Telescope in Australia, and other telescopes around the world.
But there’s a difference. While those GBT and Parkes facilities involve moving thousand-ton-plus dishes to point at targets all over the sky, the program on MeerKAT typically won’t mechanically move the antennas.
The use of MeerKAT for the ET search was announced at a conference organized by the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory (SARAO).
Image credit: SARAO
Receptors
The South African MeerKAT radio telescope is situated over 50 miles (90 kilometers) outside the small Northern Cape town of Carnarvon.
MeerKAT was originally known as the Karoo Array Telescope (KAT) that would consist of 20 receptors. When the South African government increased the budget to allow the building of 64 receptors, the team re-named it “MeerKAT” – that is, “more of KAT.” The MeerKAT (scientific name Suricata suricatta) is also a much-loved small mammal that lives in the Karoo region, explains the MeerKAT website.
Large field of view
“MeerKAT consists of 64 dishes, which can see an area of the sky 50 times bigger than the GBT can view at once,” said Andrew Siemion, a Breakthrough Listen Principal Investigator.
Credit: Breakthrough Listen
“Such a large field of view typically contains many stars that are interesting technosignature targets. Our new supercomputer enables us to combine signals from the 64 dishes to get high resolution scans of these targets with excellent sensitivity, all without impacting the research of other astronomers who are using the array,” Siemion said.
Using a “commensal” mode, the Breakthrough Listen initiative gains access to the MeerKAT sensitive radio telescopes almost 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Processing pipeline
The ability to scan 64 targets at a time within the main field of view also improves Listen’s ability to reject interfering signals from human technology, such as squawking Earth-orbiting satellites, according to a statement.
The Listen team has developed targeting and scheduling software, as well as an automated data processing pipeline that scans through the information-gleaned in near-real-time to look for interesting signals.
Notes Cherry Ng, Breakthrough Listen’s Project Scientist for MeerKAT: “It will take us just two years to search over one million nearby stars. MeerKAT will provide us with the ability to detect a transmitter akin to Earth’s brightest radio beacons out to a distance of 250 light years in our routine observing mode.”
Artist’s conception of the surface of Proxima Centauri b. The Alpha Centauri binary system can be seen in the background, to the upper right of Proxima.
Credit:ESO/M. Kornmesser
First targets
“One of the first targets we’ll be observing is our nearest neighbor star, Proxima Centauri, which appears to host two small rocky planets in the star’s habitable zone,” said Breakthrough Initiatives Executive Director, S. Pete Worden.
“Routine observations with the Listen backend on MeerKAT are now underway,” Worden said, “and the team looks forward to sharing the first science results in the coming months.”
According to Daniel Czech of the Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley, simulations predict that the Breakthrough Listen survey on MeerKAT “will significantly improve on prior surveys, with the potential to become the most comprehensive SETI survey of its type yet conducted,” Czech and colleagues explain in their research paper – “The Breakthrough Listen Search for Intelligent Life: MeerKAT Target Selection” – at:
Docking of Shenzhou-15 crew with China’s space station.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The crew of China’s Shenzhou-15 successfully linked up with the front port of the country’s Tianhe space station module on early Wednesday (Beijing Time).
Following launch atop a Long March-2F Y15 carrier rocket, the taikonaut trio — commander Fei Junlong, along with two newcomers, Deng Qingming and Zhang Lu – made a 6.5 hours long “fast automated rendezvous and docking” and will carry out China’s first-ever, in-orbit crew rotation.
China’s six-person crew onboard the country’s orbital complex.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The six astronauts now onboard the station are projected to live and work together for about five days to complete planned tasks and handover work, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).
Launched back in early June of this year, the Shenzhou-14 crew — Chen Dong, Liu Yang and Cai Xuzhe — have worked in orbit for more than 175 days.
Shenzhou-15 crew. Credit: GLOBALink/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Smooth operations
“The Shenzhou-15 mission marks the first time that we are running a simultaneous measurement and control on the space station with three modules and three spaceships in place,” said Yang Yanbo, deputy commander of the space station mission at the Beijing Aerospace Control Center.
Credit: CGTN/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“Two manned spaceships are berthing at the space station at the same time. We worked seriously to figure out a thorough plan as well as contingency plans on the whole launch-rendezvous-docking process to ensure it all goes smoothly,” Yang told China Central Television (CCTV).
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Year-end goal
China officially kicked off the in-orbit construction of its space station after launching the core module Tianhe in April 2021.
Shenzhou-15 is the sixth flight mission of China’s crewed spaceflight program this year, notes CCTV, and the last one in the construction phase of China’s space station – the final, year-end goal of China’s “three-step” human space program initiated 30 years ago.
Space traveler, Yang Liwei, aboard Shenzhou-5 in October 2003, is the country’s first astronaut to reach orbit.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Crew rotation
According to Huang Weifen, chief designer of the astronaut system for China’s human spaceflight program:
“This is the first ever in-orbit crew rotation for us, but it will be something regular in future space station missions. We will make optimization and improvements from this rotation and form a standard practice to guide future in-orbit crew rotations.”
After launch, as Shenzhou-15 reached its 200-meter berthing point prior to the final docking, the crew members of Shenzhou-15 and Shenzhou-14 had talked with each other.
“When Shenzhou-15 was at the 200-meter berthing point, we heard Fei Junlong talking with the Shenzhou-14 crew aboard the space station. This is a big difference from previous experience without people aboard the space station,” said Huang, interviewed by the China Media Group (CMG).
Inventory of all supplies
“The Shenzhou-14 crew will help the Shenzhou-15 crew transfer supplies, equipment to the space station,” said Huang. “The Shenzhou-15 crew will also help the Shenzhou-14 crew prepare samples and other items they planned to take back and take them to Shenzhou-14.”
Station complete is set for year’s end.
Credit: CMS/CCTV Video News Agency/Inside Outer Space screengrab
The two crews will hand over and confirm the state of equipment onboard the space station, the status of all experiments and make an inventory of all supplies. The focus will be an inventory of all supplies, Huang added.
In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Huang also noted that the handover period for the two crews is five days.
“Before its completion, the Shenzhou-14 crew is responsible for the duties at the space station. And then, it’s the turn of the Shenzhou-15 crew. The former will introduce and guide the latter, helping them to adjust to the environment,” Huang said.
“Then, the former will return to the Earth and the latter will assist them during the process. Such coordination was rehearsed on the ground. And, we arranged the space-and-ground communication via audio and video. The Shenzhou-14 crew also shared their experiences and offered support. This time, the Shenzhou-15 crew has prepared gifts for their departing peers. I believe they will have a great time together during the handover,” said Huang.
Credit: CMSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space
Launch rate
Ren Changwei, the chief designer of the manned spacecraft system general assembly, said in an interview that more improvements will be needed in the future spacecraft design and their research and development capability, in order to adapt to the future operation of the space station.
“For the follow-up missions, we have to adapt to the new schedule that two spacecrafts will be launched every year in the future, which is quite different from what we had done before that only one manned spacecraft was launched within a couple of years,” Ren said.
“Thus, we need improve our research and development capability,” Ren added. “Moreover, we will upgrade functions of the Shenzhou spacecraft. We will also improve its load transport capacity, enabling it to carry more loads and meet other demands in its ascending and descending.”
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Preparatory astronauts
China’s selection process for their fourth batch of preparatory astronauts has more strict requirements and higher standards, according to Yang Liwe, China’s first astronaut. He is the current deputy chief designer of China’s piloted space program and has led China’s crewed spaceflight project for nearly two decades.
Yang said that this year’s selection of China’s fourth batch of astronauts is relatively different from the previous one, not only because the new reserve astronauts are supposed to adapt to a more challenging in-space tasks, but also due to a new arrangement of the types of astronauts.
Selection process
“There are adjustment in terms of physiological standards, as we have added different types of astronauts. For example, we have loosened requirements on our payload experts in terms of their eyesight compared with that on our rocket pilots, but imposed stricter requirements or higher standards in terms of their knowledge structure,” Yang said.
Training facilities. Credit: New China TV/GLOBALink/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China began its selection of its fourth batch of reserve astronauts in September, and some 12 to 14 reserve astronauts will be selected.
The selection process will take about one year and a half, and for the first time ever, candidates for payload specialists will also be selected from the Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions.
A number of videos were released focused on the Shenzhou-15 liftoff and docking. You can find a selection here at:
Today the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) released its annual report on “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China,” commonly known as the China Military Power Report.
The People’s Liberation Army (PRC) has clearly stated its ambition to strengthen its “strategic deterrent,” and has continued to accelerate the modernization, diversification and expansion of its nuclear forces, as well as the development of its space and counterspace capabilities, is a key take away message from the report.
To read the full report, go to:
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
China has blueprinted an implementation plan for a human lunar mission.
In a press event Monday, Ji Qiming, assistant director with the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) made the statement in response to a question on China’s future lunar exploration plans.
“China’s manned space exploration will not only stay in low-Earth orbit, but will surely go more steadily and farther,” Ji said, as reported by the China Central Television (CCTV).
Credit: CGTN/Inside Outer Space screengrab
Ideal base and outpost
“The Moon is the ideal base and outpost for humans to expand and exploit outer space, and lunar exploration has been the hot spot and focus of the development of manned spaceflight in the world,” Ji said. “In accordance with the development strategy approved by the Chinese government, we have completed key technological breakthroughs and in-depth demonstration of the manned lunar exploration program.”
Chinese characteristics
Ji added that breakthroughs have been made in crewed spacecraft, new-generation crew-carrying rockets, a lunar lander and a lunar suit.
This work, Ji said, has led to formulating an implementation plan for a piloted lunar mission “with Chinese characteristics.”
Artist’s view of International Lunar Research Station to be completed by 2035. Credit: CNSA/Roscosmos
“All these works have laid a solid foundation for the manned lunar exploration program,” Ji stated, “and we have the conditions for its full implementation. I believe that the dream of the Chinese people to explore the Moon will come true in the near future.”
Research station
In an earlier interview with CCTV, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, Wu Weiren, also outlined the country’s humans to the Moon aspirations.
China is upgrading the carrier rockets and launch sites for future piloted space sojourns to the Moon and Mars, Wu said.
Wu Weiren, chief designer of China’s lunar exploration program, details future plans with reporter.
Credit: CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“In the next five years, I hope we can retrieve the samples from the far side of the Moon, Mars and asteroids and can complete the construction of Chinese lunar scientific research station. In the next 10 years, I hope the international lunar scientific research station can be completed and the asteroid defense and asteroid impact experiments can be conducted successfully. In the next 15 years, I think we should start preparations for sending human beings to the Mars and we should leave Chinese people’s footprints on the Moon. These are the goals to be basically reached,” Wu said.
Upgraded facilities
Wu noted that the thrust of current launch vehicles need to be upgraded to better facilitate future deep space exploration initiatives.
Credit: CNSA/CCTV/Inside Outer Space screengrab
“We now have the Long March-5 rocket with the maximum thrust of around 1,060 tons. That is an incredible thrust, which can send the payload of 8.5 tons to the moon and 24 tons to the low Earth orbit. The next generation of rocket will have four times the thrust of Long March-5. What does four times mean? It means that we can send the payload of over 100 tons to the low Earth orbit and 30 to 40 tons to the moon in the future. It can prepare us for future manned missions to Mars, to the Moon, and for the mass transportation to near-Earth space,” the chief engineer said.
Wu mentioned that a new heavy-lift rocket with a 10-meter diameter is under development, which will take on future crewed missions to the Moon and further expeditions to Mars and is expected to carry out the one-time configuration flight verification mission around 2035.
“What is a one-time configuration? That is, in the past rockets had several boosters, but in the future, we won’t need the big-diameter boosters, only the first-stage and second-stage engines of about 10 meters in diameter. The Long March-5’s diameter is five meters. It will increase its diameter to 10 meters in the future and quadruple its thrust. Hainan’s Wenchang will rebuild its launch site and launch base, and redesign the launch stations,” said Wu.
Go to this CCTV video at:
