Hello and welcome to another episode of the Dongfang Hour China Aero/Space News Roundup! Without further ado, the news update from the week of 26 April - 2 May.
1) Chinese Space Station: launch of the core Module Tianhe on-board Launch March 5B
On April 29 2021, China successfully sent the first module of the Chinese Space Station into orbit. The module was a 22.5-ton core module called Tianhe (天和, or “heavenly peace”). It was launched aboard a Long March 5B.
Tianhe is rightfully named the core module: it will be the centerpiece of the station which will host living quarters for the taikonauts, a bathroom, a kitchen, it will also be the main control unit (attitude, trajectory control), handles the fuel, power and air management systems. It is designed to host 3 taikonauts, and can hold up to 6 taikonauts during rotations. The Tianhe module will be joined next year by the Mengtian and Wentian experimental modules.
In 2024, the Chinese space station will also be joined by a space telescope called Xuntian, which will not be physically connected to the station but will evolve in the vicinity, and docking only for maintenance purposes.
2) Creation of a New Space SoE China SatNet
Major news update on Thursday 29 April which first came in the form of a press release from SASAC. The press release announced the creation of a China Satellite Networks Group Company, potentially SatNet for short, and puts that company under the direct administration of SASAC. SatNet is tasked with deploying and operating China’s LEO broadband constellation, widely speculated to be GuoWang.
The creation of a SatNet company at this level of the SOE hierarchy is hugely significant. SatNet is, at least in theory, at the same level in the hierarchy as CASC, CASIC, and the big 3 telcos (all of which are also directly controlled by SASAC). If we compare this to the previous arrangement, you had China’s biggest broadband project being done by CASC (Hongyan), and another by CASIC (Hongyun), with both projects involving subsidiary companies with multiple shareholders (for example, Hongyan’s operating company, MacroNet, has shareholders including CASC, China Telecom, and CETC). This would have meant, presumably, that projects like Hongyan would have mostly used the technology of CASC, Hongyun would have used technology for CASIC, and the innovation and competition would have occurred in the long-term, after we find out how these constellations work. On the other hand, the current situation with SatNet being at the same level as CASC, CASIC, the telcos, etc., means that it should, at least in theory, have a lot more freedom of choice in its sourcing options.
3) Long March 6 launches a Batch of 9 Smallsats into Orbit, many payloads of interest
On April 27th, China launched an impressive launch share mission on-board a Long March 6, putting 9 satellites into orbit. These satellites were:
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A Conversation on Chinese Satellite Constellations
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How the Chinese Space Station Handles Space Debris, A Retrospective Look at 2021 Rounds of Funding - Ep 67
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China Confirms Future Chang'e Lunar Missions, Starlink Comes Across The Chinese Space Station - Ep 65
The Top 8 Highlights of Chinese Space in 2021
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A Chinese Startup Wants to Commercialize Relay Satellites, The Tiangang EO Constellation, Landspace Updates - Ep 62
Major Chinese Rocket Updates at the 2021 China Commercial Aerospace Forum in Wuhan - Ep 61
China Betting Big on Sea-Based Launch, Revisiting the Concept of a US-China Space Race, The First China-Africa Beidou Conference - Ep 60
Shenzhou 13 Performs a Historic Spacewalk, iSpace Sets Foot in Wenchang, Tianwen-1 Changes Orbit - Ep 59
A New Constellation from Spacety, Orienspace's New Rockets & co-CEO, Linkspace Gives a Sign of Life - Ep 58
Mars Express & Zhurong to Communicate, China Breaks Previous Record in Launch, Launch Company Rocket Buys JZYJ Methalox Engines - Ep 57
Interview Part 2 - The Growing Trend of Chinese Space Culture (feat. Molly Silk)
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