Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

Long March 7 departs Wenchang coastal spaceport.
Credit: New China

Update: Videos

To view the Chinese reentry module landing via a You Tube/CCTV video, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw4_H33K3vg

Also, go to:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFybXN7aRHM

New booster

China’s maiden voyage of its Long March 7 booster yesterday is a prelude of things to come this year – focused on expanding and upgrading its human spaceflight program.

Rocketing from the country’s new Kennedy Space Center-like Wenchang coastal spaceport, Long March 7 carried mini-satellites, as well as a sub-scale test capsule for future piloted space missions in low Earth orbit and deep space.

China’s prototype reentry module has parachuted to a landing in Badain Jaran Desert in north China.
Credit: New China

Reports from Chinese news agencies say the 2.6 metric ton (2,600 kilograms) reentry module has parachuted to a landing in Badain Jaran Desert in north China.

Recovery operations for test capsule.
Credit: New China

Space lab next

Long March 7 is the booster assigned the duty of launching cargo resupply ships – dubbed Tianzhou – to China’s multi-modular space station to be orbiting in the early 2020s.

Later this year, China is to loft the Tiangong-2 space lab. Following that launch, a two-person Shenzhou-11 craft will link up with the space lab. Early next year, a Long March 7 will loft a Tianzhou supply ship to the Tiangong-2 space lab.

Pre-launch photo shows team members with subscale reentry capsule.
Credit: CAST

Also on tap this year is the maiden blastoff of China’s Long March 5. This booster is scripted to hurl into Earth orbit space station modules, as well as support robotic lunar sample return from the Moon, and hurl a rover to Mars in 2020.

Credit: CCTV

Credit: CCTV

Credit: CCTV

Tiangong-2 space lab being readied for flight.
Credit: CAST