Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

China’s Shenzhou-11 piloted spacecraft in testing.
Credit: CCTV/framegrab via GBTimes.

China is readying its Shenzhou-11 piloted spacecraft for a mid to late month sendoff.

The craft will dock with the recently launched Tiangong-2 space lab, and two still-unnamed male astronauts will stay in the space lab for 30 days before returning to Earth.

“This is going to provide evidence of astronauts’ long-term stay in space for the development of China’s space station in the future,” explains Lei Fanpei, chairman, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation in a recent CCTV-Plus interview.

China’s 60-ton medium-size space station is depicted in this artwork.
Credit: CNSA

China plans to build the world’s third “orbit-assembled” space station in the 2020s.

Booster business

After the launch of the Shenzhou-11, China will conduct the maiden flight of China’s powerful new entry in the booster business. Flight of the Long March-5 is slated for early November. It is the largest carrier rocket that the country has ever built.

“The Long March-5 has the ability of carrying 25 tons of equipment into the low Earth orbit,” Lei notes. The application of a new major structure with a five-meter-diameter and the new engine using liquid oxygen/hydrogen and liquid oxygen/kerosene propellants, the carrying capacity of the Long March-5 has been greatly improved.

“It is currently undergoing technical tests at the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center in Hainan. It is estimated that the rocket will be positioned onto the launch pad by the end of October. The core module of the future space station will be launched by this rocket, as well as the Chang’e-5 lunar probe. So the launch of the Long March-5 will be of great importance to China’s development of its space station and the exploration of deep space,” adds Lei.

Credit: CCTV/China Spaceflight.com

Mars parachute test

In related news, GBTimes has reported that China recently tested an experimental supersonic, low density parachute for use in its robotic Mars exploration program.

That test involved a Tianying sounding rocket, launching the sub-scale test parachute to high altitude above Earth to simulate conditions within the thin Martian atmosphere.

According to the Finland-based GBTimes, the flight test gathered aerodynamic data useful for evaluating a full-sized parachute for Mars duty. The test was performed by the Academy of Aerospace Solid Propulsion Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation .

China is aiming to hit the Mars launch window of 2020, rocketing toward the Red Planet a combination orbiter, lander and a rover.

For a video report on China’s upcoming space agenda, go to:

http://l3-pv.news.cctvplus.com/2016/1008/8033870_Preview_1475896857154.mp4

Also, check out this CCTV video courtesy of GBTimes on the supersonic parachute test for 2021 Mars landing. Go to: