The second stage pushed the secretive cargo into orbit, ending its performance at 9 minutes and 42 seconds. GOLDEN, Colo. — As the next secretive flight of the U.S. Air Force’s robotic X-37B minishuttle draws closer, analysts are keeping a close eye on China’s own potential spaceplane, the Shenlong. Launch Pad 91 is used for the crewed program for the launch of the Long March-2F launch vehicle (Shenzhou and Tiangong). Jiuquan was originally used to launch scientific and recoverable satellites into medium or low earth orbits at high inclinations. Thank you for signing up to Space. Last year several Chinese media outlets reported a test flight of the Shenlong space plane that apparently included its airdrop  from an H-6 bomber. Various Chinese statements over the year have indicated interest in such schemes. Shenlong (simplified Chinese: 神龙; traditional Chinese: 神龍; pinyin: shén lóng; literally: "divine dragon") is a prototype Chinese robotic spaceplane that is similar to the American Boeing X-37. Winged Spaceships: Space Plane Evolution (Infographic), X-37B Space Plane: Photos of the U.S. Military's Mini-Shuttle, SpaceX now targeting Nov. 14 for next astronaut launch, Inspiring future space explorers: Q&A with former NASA astronaut Leland Melvin. It arrived at the train station before being transferred to the dedicated rail line to Jiuquan on March 2. As the next secretive flight of the U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B mini-shuttle draws closer, analysts are keeping a close eye on China’s own potential space plane, the Shenlong. When Russia pursued its own shuttle, the Buran, Johnson-Freese said a cosmonaut friend told her it was for the sake of "keeping up with the Joneses." The U.S. Air Force, since the retirement of the country’s space shuttle program, has been in the spotlight more for the secretive missions of its X-37B mini-shuttle, which is an unmanned aerial vehicle that functions in orbit around Earth. Email this article Print this article. Launch Pad 94 is used for uncrewed orbital launches by the Long March-2C, Long March-2D and Long March-4C launch vehicles. The site includes a Technical Centre, two Launch Complexes, Mission Command and Control Centre, Launch Control Centre, propellant fuelling systems, tracking and communication systems, gas supply systems, weather forecast systems, and logistic support systems. This was the first public acknowledgment that China was trying to develop a reusable winged space system very similar to the X-37. The separation was followed by a stabilization process four seconds later, with the first stage separating right after together with stage two ignition. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. "It seems to be a focus, and it likely builds upon a bureaucratic element that had proposed a space shuttle/space plane approach to manned space that was trumped by the Shenzhou space capsule design,"  said Dean Cheng, a research fellow at the Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center in Washington. Receive news and offers from our other brands? And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com. SpaceX just launched its 100th successful Falcon rocket flight. China launched a new experimental reusable space vehicle on Thursday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center using a Long March-2F/T – Chang Zheng-2F/T – launch vehicle. [6][needs update], From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, Key Laboratory of high-temperature gas dynamics, "Shenlong Space Plane: China's Answer To U.S. X-37B Drone? Also, more propellant is loaded on the boosters, thus increasing the firing time. "Appropriately enough, Shenlong may also be little more than a symbol of China’s ability to challenge U.S. assumptions of primacy and technological dominance," Gubrud said. For the CZ-2F launch vehicle, the LB-40 strap-on boosters have a length of 15.326 meters, a diameter of 2.25 meters, a gross mass of 40,750 kg and an empty mass of 3,000 kg. by Richard Fisher, Jr. "Beijing may be entering the space plane era faster than many would have predicted," Erickson and Collins wrote. Leonard David has been reporting on the space industry for more than five decades. In fact, Shenlong was possibly a technology development program for the actual space-worthy vehicle. In August, China analysts Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins posted their Shenlong assessment on their China SignPost website. [5], As of 2007[update], the CAS academician Zhuang Fenggan (莊逢甘) said that a first test flight of the spaceplane would be conducted during the "Eleventh Five-Year Plan", meaning from 2006 to 2010. Shenlong is very likely far less capable than the X-37B and may still be years away from yielding a vehicle with true operational capability.". It was previously announced that the next launch of the LM-2F rocket would be the first major scientific research and experimental mission other than crewed spaceflight after Shenzhou-11, being the basis for the successful implementation of subsequent crewed spaceflight projects and a key to future aerospace technology. China is the third country, after Russia and the United States, to develop an independent human spaceflight program. It is equipped with a YF-24B engine pack that consists of one fixed nozzle YF-22B main motor with a swiveling vernier four YF-23B engines. 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[2], The latest academic models shown in 2000, reveal a delta winged spaceplane with a single vertical stabilizer, equipped with three high-expansion engines. Space calendar 2020: Rocket launches, sky events, missions & more. Its burn time is 160.00 seconds. Receive mail from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors? China's current manned Shenzhou spacecraft, however, are capsule-based vehicles. Please refresh the page and try again. The Air Force's robotic plane would appear to serve the U.S. primarily as a sign that American space power endures despite retirement of the NASA space shuttlefleet, he said. These images, possibly taken in late 2005, show the vehicle's black reentry heat shielding, indicating a reusable design, and its engine assembly. Visit our corporate site. In fact, Shenlong was possibly a technology development program for the actual space-worthy vehicle. The country has stated its goal of building a 60-ton space station for future missions. This December 2007 image shows China's robotic Shenlong space plane prototype carried by an H-6 bomber for glide testing. In any case, Shenlong’s small size may have been dictated in part by the ability of the H-6 bomber to carry it under its fuselage, attached by a specialized pylon. Codenamed ‘Project 863-706’, the Shenlong Project had at the time its first launch scheduled between 2006 and 2010. Countries including but not limited to China and the U.S. are working on space plane technology.". Shenlong Test Platform. Comparative chart showing China’s Shenlong and the U.S. Air Force X-37B space plane. This is within the payload capability of the Chinese CZ-2E(A) or Type A launch vehicles. On December 11, 2007, the Chinese media published an interesting image of a winged spacecraft mounted on a wind of am H-6K bomber. Space is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! The bottom line,  the two researchers said, is that foreign policymakers need to take China’s ambitions in space seriously.

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