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Challenging the Heavens: Innovation Leads China's Aerospace Efforts During the 13th Five-Year Plan

2020-12-18

 

Challenging the Heavens: Innovation Leads China's Aerospace Efforts During the 13th Five-Year Plan

Science and Technology Daily reporter, Fu Yifei


On September 21, the China National Space Administration announced details of China's first Mars exploration mission: The Tianwen-1 probe has successfully completed its second mid-course orbital correction. Having already been in flight for 60 days, the spacecraft is now approximately 19 million kilometers from Earth and has traveled about 160 million kilometers. All systems on the probe are operating smoothly.
The Chinese Mars exploration mission, launched in late July 2020, has captured global attention. However, China's space achievements during the 13th Five-Year Plan period extended far beyond this milestone. From 2016 to September 27, 2020, our country successfully carried out a total of 140 aerospace launch missions, with China ranking first in the world for consecutive years in both 2018 and 2019 in terms of space launches. Over the past five years, China's space program has made remarkable progress in advancing major projects, driving technological innovation and iteration, and exploring new operational models—achieving outstanding results across the board.

Major project enters a new phase

At exactly 18:00 on May 5, 2020, the Long March 5B carrier rocket lifted off from China's Wenchang Space Launch Center, carrying the new-generation manned spacecraft test vehicle and other payloads. The China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that the first mission of the space station phase under the manned space program had been successfully completed. Earlier, China's Tiangong-2 space laboratory had conducted a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on July 19, 2019, with only a small amount of debris falling safely into the designated area of the South Pacific Ocean. With this milestone, all missions in the space laboratory phase of the manned space program have now been fully accomplished.
As the space station phase missions officially kick off, China's manned space program embarks on a new journey. According to the plan, starting from 2021, China will successively launch the Tianhe core module, the Wentian experimental module, and the Mengtian experimental module, carrying out the in-orbit assembly and construction of the space station's basic configuration, with the entire space station expected to be completed around 2022.
On June 23, 2020, the 55th BeiDou navigation satellite was successfully launched. On July 31, China officially announced to the world that the country's independently developed and operated global satellite navigation system has been fully completed.
On November 5, 2017, China successfully launched the first batch of BeiDou-3 satellites into space using a "single rocket, dual satellites" method, marking the beginning of a new era in the global deployment of the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System. Over the course of 31 months, China meticulously orbited 30 BeiDou-3 satellites and 2 BeiDou-2 satellites, achieving a flawless 100% success rate and setting a world record for the fastest-ever satellite navigation system constellation deployment—completing the global constellation setup six months ahead of schedule.
On September 23 and 24, 2020, the Yutu-2 lunar rover and the Chang'e-4 lander respectively concluded their 22nd lunar day of operations and entered lunar night dormancy. By this time, they had already spent 630 Earth days on the far side of the Moon, with Yutu-2 accumulating a total travel distance of 547.17 meters.
The Chang'e-4 mission was launched in 2018. On May 21 of that year, China successfully sent the Chang'e-4 relay satellite into space, making it the world's first satellite to operate in a Halo mission orbit at the Earth-Moon L2 point. On December 8, Chang'e-4 embarked on its lunar exploration journey and, on January 3, 2019, achieved a soft landing in the pre-selected landing area within the Von Kármán crater, located in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon—becoming the world's first spacecraft to softly land on the far side of the Moon and conduct roving exploration there.
The Chang'e-4 mission has marked the beginning of China's fourth phase of its lunar exploration program, while the third phase of the lunar project is also set to conclude by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. According to the schedule, China will launch the Chang'e-5 probe before the end of 2020 to carry out a lunar sample-return mission, thereby achieving the "orbit, land, and return" three-step goal of China's lunar exploration program.

New technologies are gradually stepping up to take the lead.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s new-generation launch vehicles made a collective debut, gradually taking on critical roles in increasingly dense and complex space missions. China’s launch vehicle development has entered a new, green, and pollution-free phase, with its carrying capacity now reaching world-class levels.
In 2016, the Long March-7 and Long March-5 carrier rockets successfully completed their maiden flights one after the other. In 2017, the Long March-7 Y2 rocket brilliantly launched the Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft, delivering China’s first "space delivery service." Starting from 2020, the Long March-5 series of rockets has entered a period of high-density launches—playing an irreplaceable role, from executing the space station’s inaugural flight and China’s first Mars exploration mission to preparing for future missions such as the Chang'e-5 lunar sample-return mission and the launch of key modules for the space station. Since its debut in 2015, the Long March-11 carrier rocket has achieved perfect success in all ten of its subsequent missions over just a few years, placing 51 satellites into orbit while simultaneously filling the critical gap in China’s capability for sea-based rocket launches. Meanwhile, following its groundbreaking achievement of setting a national record for multiple satellites launched on a single rocket during its maiden flight, the Long March-6 carrier rocket went on to accomplish its first commercial launch in 2017 and its first-ever low-inclination circular-orbit mission in 2019. Additionally, the Long March-8 carrier rocket is scheduled for its maiden flight within the year, further enhancing China’s strategic layout for launching satellites into sun-synchronous orbits.
During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China achieved multiple milestone breakthroughs in its rocket technology research. Key technologies for heavy-lift launch vehicles have been further developed, leading to significant advancements in several critical areas. Meanwhile, cutting-edge technological fields such as reusable spaceplane systems and combined-cycle propulsion vehicles have also seen remarkable progress, with a series of major technical innovations successfully demonstrated and validated. At the same time, China’s satellite technology has reached a new level of advancement.
On December 27, 2019, the Shijian-20 satellite was successfully launched. This mission marked the maiden flight test of the Dongfanghong-5 satellite bus—a platform that currently represents China's most technologically advanced satellite system. "If the Dongfanghong-4 platform has already enabled us to compete on equal footing with our international peers, then with the Dongfanghong-5 platform, we will be poised to make the transformative leap from catching up to taking the lead," said Zhou Zhicheng, Chief Engineer at the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
On May 8, 2020, the new-generation manned spacecraft test vehicle successfully landed in the designated area at the Dongfeng Landing Site after completing a 2-day, 19-hour orbital flight. The mission was declared a complete success. The new-generation manned spacecraft was developed to meet China's future needs for crewed lunar exploration and space station operations. It represents an advanced, next-generation Earth-to-orbit and back transportation vehicle designed to international standards. Featuring high safety, exceptional reliability, modularity, versatility for multiple missions, and the ability to be reused, this spacecraft is poised to play a critical role in China's upcoming near-Earth space missions as well as lunar exploration endeavors.

Commercial space development steadily advances.

2015 was hailed as the inaugural year for China's commercial space industry. As China entered the 13th Five-Year Plan period, its commercial space sector transitioned from the chaotic early stages of breaking new ground to a more orderly phase, with several private-sector aerospace companies turning their ambitious blueprints into tangible realities.
On July 25, 2019, the Hyperbola-1 launch vehicle, developed by Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd., was successfully launched, marking China's first breakthrough in privately developed launch vehicles.
Today, several commercial aerospace companies have made significant strides in their development journeys. Blue Arrow Aerospace is focusing on an liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle approach and has successfully completed multiple full-system hot-fire tests for its "Tianque" 80-ton and 10-ton-class engines. Meanwhile, Beijing Lingke Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. is dedicated to the development of reusable rockets, having conducted several successful low-altitude flight and vertical recovery tests. Meanwhile, commercial satellites developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., Tianyi Research Institute, and other entities are already operational in space, contributing significantly to various sectors of social and economic development.
Relevant ministries and commissions are actively creating an enabling environment for the development of commercial space activities. Wu Yanhua, Deputy Director of the China National Space Administration, stated at the 2019 International Forum on the Commercial Space Industry that the administration will provide policy support to commercial space enterprises, deliver robust services, and foster the healthy growth of the commercial space sector. Meanwhile, the National Development and Reform Commission, in its "Report on the Implementation of the 2019 National Economic and Social Development Plan and the Draft 2020 National Economic and Social Development Plan," emphasized supporting the advancement of commercial space initiatives, extending the aerospace industry chain, and expanding satellite applications such as communications, navigation, and remote sensing. Amidst the booming tide of commercial space ventures, even the state-backed "national team" in the aerospace industry has proactively rolled out corresponding plans.
At the 2nd China Commercial Aerospace Summit held in 2016, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation announced its focus on implementing five major commercial aerospace projects: Feiyun, Kuaiyun, Xingyun, Hongyun, and Tengyun. The following year, the corporation unveiled the High-Speed Flying Train project. Reporters learned that the "Five Clouds and One Train" initiative is currently advancing steadily.
In February 2016, CASIC established the CASIC Rocket Company—a specialized entity focused on commercial launch services—following a socialized and market-oriented approach. The company’s Kuaizhou series of launch vehicles has successfully carried out multiple missions in recent years, quickly gaining prominence in the commercial launch market. Meanwhile, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has taken a significant step toward building its low-orbit broadband communication satellite system. The system’s first satellite was successfully launched on December 29, marking the start of Phase I, which aims to deploy a constellation of 60 satellites by 2022. This constellation will provide global services, including voice communication, data collection, and internet access. Additionally, the group has deployed the Gaojing-1 satellite constellation, comprising four high-resolution imaging satellites independently developed by China. This marks the country’s first fully indigenous 0.5-meter resolution commercial remote sensing satellite network, significantly enhancing China’s capabilities in commercial Earth observation and remote sensing services. Furthermore, the Jielong-1 solid-propellant carrier rocket, developed by the China Rocket Company under the same group, achieved its maiden flight success in 2019, demonstrating a promising new model for leveraging social capital in research, development, and production.

Editor-in-charge: Ma Shuhuai

Translated from China Science and Technology Network
 

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Challenging the Heavens: Innovation Leads China's Aerospace Efforts During the 13th Five-Year Plan

2020-12-18

 

Challenging the Heavens: Innovation Leads China's Aerospace Efforts During the 13th Five-Year Plan

Science and Technology Daily reporter, Fu Yifei


On September 21, the China National Space Administration announced details of China's first Mars exploration mission: The Tianwen-1 probe has successfully completed its second mid-course orbital correction. Having already been in flight for 60 days, the spacecraft is now approximately 19 million kilometers from Earth and has traveled about 160 million kilometers. All systems on the probe are operating smoothly.
The Chinese Mars exploration mission, launched in late July 2020, has captured global attention. However, China's space achievements during the 13th Five-Year Plan period extended far beyond this milestone. From 2016 to September 27, 2020, our country successfully carried out a total of 140 aerospace launch missions, with China ranking first in the world for consecutive years in both 2018 and 2019 in terms of space launches. Over the past five years, China's space program has made remarkable progress in advancing major projects, driving technological innovation and iteration, and exploring new operational models—achieving outstanding results across the board.

Major project enters a new phase

At exactly 18:00 on May 5, 2020, the Long March 5B carrier rocket lifted off from China's Wenchang Space Launch Center, carrying the new-generation manned spacecraft test vehicle and other payloads. The China Manned Space Engineering Office announced that the first mission of the space station phase under the manned space program had been successfully completed. Earlier, China's Tiangong-2 space laboratory had conducted a controlled re-entry into Earth's atmosphere on July 19, 2019, with only a small amount of debris falling safely into the designated area of the South Pacific Ocean. With this milestone, all missions in the space laboratory phase of the manned space program have now been fully accomplished.
As the space station phase missions officially kick off, China's manned space program embarks on a new journey. According to the plan, starting from 2021, China will successively launch the Tianhe core module, the Wentian experimental module, and the Mengtian experimental module, carrying out the in-orbit assembly and construction of the space station's basic configuration, with the entire space station expected to be completed around 2022.
On June 23, 2020, the 55th BeiDou navigation satellite was successfully launched. On July 31, China officially announced to the world that the country's independently developed and operated global satellite navigation system has been fully completed.
On November 5, 2017, China successfully launched the first batch of BeiDou-3 satellites into space using a "single rocket, dual satellites" method, marking the beginning of a new era in the global deployment of the BeiDou Satellite Navigation System. Over the course of 31 months, China meticulously orbited 30 BeiDou-3 satellites and 2 BeiDou-2 satellites, achieving a flawless 100% success rate and setting a world record for the fastest-ever satellite navigation system constellation deployment—completing the global constellation setup six months ahead of schedule.
On September 23 and 24, 2020, the Yutu-2 lunar rover and the Chang'e-4 lander respectively concluded their 22nd lunar day of operations and entered lunar night dormancy. By this time, they had already spent 630 Earth days on the far side of the Moon, with Yutu-2 accumulating a total travel distance of 547.17 meters.
The Chang'e-4 mission was launched in 2018. On May 21 of that year, China successfully sent the Chang'e-4 relay satellite into space, making it the world's first satellite to operate in a Halo mission orbit at the Earth-Moon L2 point. On December 8, Chang'e-4 embarked on its lunar exploration journey and, on January 3, 2019, achieved a soft landing in the pre-selected landing area within the Von Kármán crater, located in the South Pole-Aitken Basin on the far side of the Moon—becoming the world's first spacecraft to softly land on the far side of the Moon and conduct roving exploration there.
The Chang'e-4 mission has marked the beginning of China's fourth phase of its lunar exploration program, while the third phase of the lunar project is also set to conclude by the end of the 13th Five-Year Plan period. According to the schedule, China will launch the Chang'e-5 probe before the end of 2020 to carry out a lunar sample-return mission, thereby achieving the "orbit, land, and return" three-step goal of China's lunar exploration program.

New technologies are gradually stepping up to take the lead.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China’s new-generation launch vehicles made a collective debut, gradually taking on critical roles in increasingly dense and complex space missions. China’s launch vehicle development has entered a new, green, and pollution-free phase, with its carrying capacity now reaching world-class levels.
In 2016, the Long March-7 and Long March-5 carrier rockets successfully completed their maiden flights one after the other. In 2017, the Long March-7 Y2 rocket brilliantly launched the Tianzhou-1 cargo spacecraft, delivering China’s first "space delivery service." Starting from 2020, the Long March-5 series of rockets has entered a period of high-density launches—playing an irreplaceable role, from executing the space station’s inaugural flight and China’s first Mars exploration mission to preparing for future missions such as the Chang'e-5 lunar sample-return mission and the launch of key modules for the space station. Since its debut in 2015, the Long March-11 carrier rocket has achieved perfect success in all ten of its subsequent missions over just a few years, placing 51 satellites into orbit while simultaneously filling the critical gap in China’s capability for sea-based rocket launches. Meanwhile, following its groundbreaking achievement of setting a national record for multiple satellites launched on a single rocket during its maiden flight, the Long March-6 carrier rocket went on to accomplish its first commercial launch in 2017 and its first-ever low-inclination circular-orbit mission in 2019. Additionally, the Long March-8 carrier rocket is scheduled for its maiden flight within the year, further enhancing China’s strategic layout for launching satellites into sun-synchronous orbits.
During the 13th Five-Year Plan period, China achieved multiple milestone breakthroughs in its rocket technology research. Key technologies for heavy-lift launch vehicles have been further developed, leading to significant advancements in several critical areas. Meanwhile, cutting-edge technological fields such as reusable spaceplane systems and combined-cycle propulsion vehicles have also seen remarkable progress, with a series of major technical innovations successfully demonstrated and validated. At the same time, China’s satellite technology has reached a new level of advancement.
On December 27, 2019, the Shijian-20 satellite was successfully launched. This mission marked the maiden flight test of the Dongfanghong-5 satellite bus—a platform that currently represents China's most technologically advanced satellite system. "If the Dongfanghong-4 platform has already enabled us to compete on equal footing with our international peers, then with the Dongfanghong-5 platform, we will be poised to make the transformative leap from catching up to taking the lead," said Zhou Zhicheng, Chief Engineer at the Fifth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
On May 8, 2020, the new-generation manned spacecraft test vehicle successfully landed in the designated area at the Dongfeng Landing Site after completing a 2-day, 19-hour orbital flight. The mission was declared a complete success. The new-generation manned spacecraft was developed to meet China's future needs for crewed lunar exploration and space station operations. It represents an advanced, next-generation Earth-to-orbit and back transportation vehicle designed to international standards. Featuring high safety, exceptional reliability, modularity, versatility for multiple missions, and the ability to be reused, this spacecraft is poised to play a critical role in China's upcoming near-Earth space missions as well as lunar exploration endeavors.

Commercial space development steadily advances.

2015 was hailed as the inaugural year for China's commercial space industry. As China entered the 13th Five-Year Plan period, its commercial space sector transitioned from the chaotic early stages of breaking new ground to a more orderly phase, with several private-sector aerospace companies turning their ambitious blueprints into tangible realities.
On July 25, 2019, the Hyperbola-1 launch vehicle, developed by Beijing Interstellar Glory Space Technology Co., Ltd., was successfully launched, marking China's first breakthrough in privately developed launch vehicles.
Today, several commercial aerospace companies have made significant strides in their development journeys. Blue Arrow Aerospace is focusing on an liquid oxygen-methane launch vehicle approach and has successfully completed multiple full-system hot-fire tests for its "Tianque" 80-ton and 10-ton-class engines. Meanwhile, Beijing Lingke Aerospace Technology Co., Ltd. is dedicated to the development of reusable rockets, having conducted several successful low-altitude flight and vertical recovery tests. Meanwhile, commercial satellites developed by Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd., Tianyi Research Institute, and other entities are already operational in space, contributing significantly to various sectors of social and economic development.
Relevant ministries and commissions are actively creating an enabling environment for the development of commercial space activities. Wu Yanhua, Deputy Director of the China National Space Administration, stated at the 2019 International Forum on the Commercial Space Industry that the administration will provide policy support to commercial space enterprises, deliver robust services, and foster the healthy growth of the commercial space sector. Meanwhile, the National Development and Reform Commission, in its "Report on the Implementation of the 2019 National Economic and Social Development Plan and the Draft 2020 National Economic and Social Development Plan," emphasized supporting the advancement of commercial space initiatives, extending the aerospace industry chain, and expanding satellite applications such as communications, navigation, and remote sensing. Amidst the booming tide of commercial space ventures, even the state-backed "national team" in the aerospace industry has proactively rolled out corresponding plans.
At the 2nd China Commercial Aerospace Summit held in 2016, China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation announced its focus on implementing five major commercial aerospace projects: Feiyun, Kuaiyun, Xingyun, Hongyun, and Tengyun. The following year, the corporation unveiled the High-Speed Flying Train project. Reporters learned that the "Five Clouds and One Train" initiative is currently advancing steadily.
In February 2016, CASIC established the CASIC Rocket Company—a specialized entity focused on commercial launch services—following a socialized and market-oriented approach. The company’s Kuaizhou series of launch vehicles has successfully carried out multiple missions in recent years, quickly gaining prominence in the commercial launch market. Meanwhile, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation has taken a significant step toward building its low-orbit broadband communication satellite system. The system’s first satellite was successfully launched on December 29, marking the start of Phase I, which aims to deploy a constellation of 60 satellites by 2022. This constellation will provide global services, including voice communication, data collection, and internet access. Additionally, the group has deployed the Gaojing-1 satellite constellation, comprising four high-resolution imaging satellites independently developed by China. This marks the country’s first fully indigenous 0.5-meter resolution commercial remote sensing satellite network, significantly enhancing China’s capabilities in commercial Earth observation and remote sensing services. Furthermore, the Jielong-1 solid-propellant carrier rocket, developed by the China Rocket Company under the same group, achieved its maiden flight success in 2019, demonstrating a promising new model for leveraging social capital in research, development, and production.

Editor-in-charge: Ma Shuhuai

Translated from China Science and Technology Network
 

Previous post:

The "new forces" have already "aged"—where is the ultimate destination for smart cars?

Next:

The three major factions are positioning themselves in the electric-drive system market, with domestic and foreign players set to "rival each other head-on."