Chinese Space Station – Page 2

China to debut new version of powerful Long March 5 rocket this week

May 4, 2020 Stephen Clark

A prototype for China’s next-generation human-rated spacecraft — flying on a test flight without astronauts — is scheduled to ride a new version of the country’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket into orbit this week.

Prototypes for new Chinese crew capsule and space station arrive at launch site

January 24, 2020 Stephen Clark

The next flight of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket will debut a new configuration designed to launch modules for a Chinese space station. But a demonstration launch of the Long March 5B booster scheduled as soon as April will instead carry a prototype of China’s next-generation deep space crew capsule into orbit on an unpiloted test flight.

Successful Long March 5 launch paves way for new Chinese space missions

December 27, 2019 Stephen Clark

The third launch of China’s heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket successfully delivered its satellite payload to orbit Friday, validating engine design changes after a failure on the Long March 5’s second flight, and clearing the way for the launch of a Chinese Mars rover and lunar sample return mission in 2020.

China’s Long March 5 rocket poised for crucial return-to-flight launch

December 26, 2019 Stephen Clark

China’s Long March 5 rocket — the country’s most powerful launcher — is set for its third flight Friday on a critical validation mission after a core stage engine failure doomed a launch in 2017 and forced a two-and-a-half-year investigation and redesign effort.

China on pace to resume Long March 5 launches by end of year

October 31, 2019 Stephen Clark

Components for China’s third Long March 5 rocket arrived at the country’s southern launch base this week as teams prepare for the first flight of the heavy-lift launcher since a 2017 mission ended in failure.

Chinese space station testbed ends mission with controlled re-entry

July 19, 2019 Stephen Clark

A prototype space lab module for China’s planned space station re-entered the atmosphere over the South Pacific Ocean Friday to end a nearly three-year mission that included a visit from Chinese astronauts and an in-orbit refueling demonstration.

China set to deorbit disused Tiangong 2 space lab

July 16, 2019 Stephen Clark

China’s Tiangong 2 space lab, a precursor to the country’s planned space station, is scheduled to fall out of orbit Friday and plunge back into Earth’s atmosphere for a destructive re-entry.

China resumes launch campaigns after string of failures, delays lunar mission

October 4, 2017 Stephen Clark

The launch of three experimental remote sensing satellites last week signaled the resumption of Chinese space launches following multiple rocket failures since late last year, but a senior Chinese space official has confirmed the Chang’e 5 mission to return samples from the moon remains grounded.

China’s Tianzhou 1 supply vehicle re-enters atmosphere

September 22, 2017 Stephen Clark

The Chinese Tianzhou 1 resupply and refueling freighter re-entered Earth’s atmosphere Friday, burning up as designed after a five-month mission demonstrating servicing techniques for China’s future space station.

Chinese space station freighter concludes refueling demo mission

September 17, 2017 Stephen Clark

China’s Tianzhou 1 freighter, a pathfinder for regular resupply and refueling trips to the country’s planned space station, wrapped up a series of successful propellant transfer tests with the orbiting Tiangong 2 space lab Saturday and detached from the module for more standalone experiments and a destructive re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere.