CHINA: China has more ambitious and daring plans for 2023 after carrying out more than 50 launches in 2022.
According to the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), Beijing intends to launch more than 200 spacecraft and 60 space missions in the upcoming calendar year.
According to a blue paper recently released by China, the nation’s space science and technology activities will experience a significant uptick in 2023, including high-profile missions like the Tianzhou-6 cargo craft, the Shenzhou-16 flight missions, and the Shenzhou-17 flight missions to strengthen its Tiangong space station activities.
The two crewed trips will make sure that the Space Station utilises all of its capabilities this year. In addition to launching these missions, the firm will make sure that this year’s progress on the development of a brand-new commercial remote-sensing satellite system is sped up. Three backup satellites will be launched for the BeiDou-3 Navigation Satellite System in the meantime.
According to reports, the CASC will advance the fourth phase of lunar exploration and planetary exploration in 2023 as it continues to develop the lunar probe Chang’e-7, the Mars probe Tianwen-2, and a fixed orbit-microwave detection satellite. The fourth phase was approved by Beijing in 2022.
The Chang’e-6 spacecraft will return the samples from the surface before the Chang’e-7 spacecraft is launched to the South Pole of the moon.
The Chang’e-6 mission is a follow-up to the Chang’e-5 mission, which returned lunar surface samples from the previous year. A step toward creating a replica of a lunar research station, Chang’e-8, will come after Chang’e-6.
Along with creating reusable launch vehicles similar to the SpaceX Falcon-9 rocket, Beijing will also execute the Long March-6C rocket’s first launch.
Gu Mingkun, deputy chief of the Overall Design Department at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, said that the overall plan for the heavy rocket construction has now been established. The rocket will be efficient, reusable, and smart.
“When employed for high-orbit flights, the big rocket will have a launch weight of 4,000 tonnes and a takeoff thrust of 6,000 tonnes, with the potential for reuse. Heavy launch vehicles that are entirely reusable will be created in the future,” Gu said.
China established a new goal for 2023 and carried out 64 rocket launches successfully in 2022. In January, Beijing launched one rocket on average once a week.
Also Read: NASA Shares Image of a Rare Iceberg
