Chinese Spacestation

[radarredux]

From a SpaceDaily story:<br />China Manned Space Flight Could Be Launched Next Week: Report<br />http://www.spacedaily.com/news/china-05zzzzzzzn.html<br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>The entire rocket, including the return capsule and an orbiting vehicle, has been assembled and is standing at the Jiuquan launch pad<br />...<br />During the upcoming flight, the crew are expected to conduct several space experiments from an attached orbital vehicle, which will remain in the Earth's orbit for months after the re-entry vehicle and its two astronauts have returned.<br /><br /><b><font color="yellow">The orbital vehicle is designed to hook up with other similar orbital vehicles to form a space station</font>/b>, which will possibly be built by successive Shenzhou missions<p><hr /></p></b></p></blockquote><br />Hmm... potentially pretty interesting.

 

[shoogerbrugge]

Its a smart system, the orbital section of the Zhenzhou isn't de-orbited as fast as for example on the Soyuz. Its got stand-alone capability, with for example solar arrays. This means that another Zhenzhou launched shortly after the previous was de-orbited can connect with the orbital module still in LEO from the previous mission.<br /><br />I don't recall how fast the two missions have to follow each other up, because of the orbital decay, but I believe there is at least a gap of two months possible. <br /><br />Smart low cost idea, but it the orbital module hasn't got any propulsion so it has to be visited often to prevent it from de-orbiting.<br /><br />

 

[mikejz]

The russian's tried something like that with the a salute station--leaving the orbital section for extra pressureissed volume; don't remember the details, but it did not work out.

 

[JonClarke]

This was said to have been done during the first few flights of the Soyuz T to Salyut 6. The module was supposed to have been released after a few days. As you say it does not seem to have been developed. So it was 1) unsuccessful, 2) not worth the effort, or 3) misreported to start with (and it does seem rather improbable)<br /><br />The Shenzhou orbital module is very different from Soyuz. it is larger and has an automous capability with solar panels and attitude control. It certainly would be very valuable and parsimonous way of creating a target for rendezvous and docking trials, requring no separate launches (as the US and USSR did).<br /><br />Oen important caveat is that the orbital module has a life of only 6 months before it reenters. This means that a mission to rendezvous and dock would have to be launched inside this time. This in itself would be a major step forward for CSA as Shenzhou 1-4 were launched approximately a year apart and it has been 2 years between Shenzhou 5 and 6.<br /><br />As a space station the docked specraft would be very modest, but for a missions lasting a few weeks it would still be useful. In addition to the rendezvous, docking, and orbital assembly trials, and using the extra space, the mission could also retrive experiments left in space for the 6 months. <br /><br />All this would prepare they way to a larger (Salyut-like?) space station further down the track.<br /><br />Jon <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><em>Whether we become a multi-planet species with unlimited horizons, or are forever confined to Earth will be decided in the twenty-first century amid the vast plains, rugged canyons and lofty mountains of Mars</em>  Arthur Clarke</p> </div>

 

[mikejz]

Does China have a Proton Class LV?

 

[kane007]

Not yet, planned for implimentation 2008 but slipping.<br />See CZ-504 astronautix article.<br /><br />Seems to have a 25 tonne LEO capacity, just like NASA's cargo single stick SRB.<br /><br /><font color="red">DO NO HARM</font>/safety_wrapper>

 

[shoogerbrugge]

If you want to keep your orbital module at a higher orbit you run a bigger risk in the decent module. See, all three modulese seperate at the same time. So once the decent and orbital module have split there is little way back for the crew going down to earth. This is a potential risk, while having your orbital module as a small space station in a gain. So you just have to figure out where the trade off point is.<br /><br />

 

[scottb50]

I doubt there is much mistery left. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>