Major Chinese spaceports will have a hectic year as around 40 launches are planned by two state-owned contractors. China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) and China Aerospace Science & Industry Corp (CASIC) announced their plans for space exploration and commercial launches on Wednesday.
CASC will send 18 BeiDou-3 positioning satellites into orbit this year to complete China’s satellite navigation network, and expand its range to cover major Belt and Road Initiative countries.
This could signal an unprecedented pace of launches, the state-owned news agency Xinhua reported.
Still, all eyes will be on the launch of the Long March V, the most powerful heavy-lift rocket with a maximum payload capacity of 25 tons.
Measuring almost 60 meters in height and five meters in diameter, this space beast was earmarked to deliver key modules and supporting capsules for the next-generation Tiangong space station.
Yet it was hit by a rare setback in July, 2017 when one of the major propellers stalled 30 minutes after launch.
Officials appear confident the problem has been ironed out for a launch later this year. This space workhorse will be crucial if China is to achieve its ultimate goal of launching and assembling a space station in the early 2020s.
Long March V will also propel the Chang’e-4 lunar exploration satellite, which is slated to land on the dark side of the Moon. One extra communication relaying satellite for Chang’e-4 will also be sent into space.
Another major launch in the next 12 months will involve China’s first seismic observation satellite Zhang Heng-1.
CASIC is hoping its nimble, low-cost cargo rockets from Kuaizhou will also eat into the market share of United States-based private firms SpaceX and Blue Origin. The Chinese company is also scheduled to send four commercial satellites into orbit.
Getting the costs right will be crucial. The Chinese government, along with CASC and CASIC, has agreed to keep communication satellite launch prices down to US$70 million, provided the payload is within the rocket’s optimal weight limits.
A price of $5,000-per-kilogram is the latest being quoted by CASC for sending objects into a low geosynchronous orbit in the near future.
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Thomas Daniel Kuhn Seen a-little about China on TV and read some but when I wandered around China for 3 months in 2007 that showed me China is doing just fine. West China like Yunnan and Sichuan has lots of beautifull mountains and it was very inexpensive. Smog in Beijing was so so bad it was funny. Kids seem smart and responsible. Most building are brick and cement but that seems to be like almost everywhere on Earth.
"What is bold about diverting funds from safe roads, bridges, power and fresh water infrastructures…" This is the policy of the current U.S. administration.
(Half of China)
Wow! Talks just like a whitey should, smells just like a whitey should, or, talks and smells just like a simpleton that idolises the white dude ;( …
Truth and dare: while half of America (referiing to America’s well documented substandard demographics) survives in substandard conditions and relying on government handouts for their survival, all America thinks about is proxy wars and regime changes all over the world 『regardless of the COST/FINANCIAL consequences』 of these wars while their own people can barely surive on the handouts they are getting…
Now what kind of a logic is that and does it make sense???
I don’t think chinese world largest high speed rail network, the most advance electrotelescope, road infrastructure even American wish they have, biggest automobile and tourism industry, and its on top of the world trading nation status can be fake. More like you are living in your dream.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmm lets see now. They have raised more than 500,000,000 Yes thats 500 million people out of poverty and into the middle class, in the last 20 years while the US has been busy impoverishing it`s people. But of course you would not know this , living in your Mom`s basement and having never turned on National Geographic or read a book in your life.
It sounds like the space program is not only increasing China’s technological base, but is also aquiring more capital to make China a better place. Think of all the nice engineering jobs attached to this program. When a country invests in science the population for the most part benefits.
Half of China, has still not seen the economic benefits of all the hard work and sweat of the Chinese worker’s manufacturing success.
Yet the leaders of the regime, in order to foster a hollow overblown national pride, built a space program, while so many, many honest Chinese millions are still without rudimentary infrastructure.
Oh yes, we see it, we in the rest of the world, who are not censored, not too spied upon, not too disallowed in our speech, nor made to work in too harsh conditions.
What do the PLA operatives say to that?
What is bold about diverting funds from safe roads, bridges, power and fresh water infrastructures, into vain space flights that benefit who?