[FPSPACE] Tiangong

Tue Sep 30 14:11:01 EDT 2008

Hi Chen,

It seems the next few years in Chinese manned spaceflight are much less clear than the Shenzhou 6 en -7 period. Would you please consider updating your Go taikonauts!-site again or a regular basis? We could certainly use your knowledge and insight!

Thanks,
Luc

From: chenlan at singnet.com.sg
To: epgrondine at hotmail.com; fpspace at friends-partners.org
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2008 21:43:23 +0800
Subject: Re: [FPSPACE] Tiangong

1. The statement in the CCTV link, by Zhang Jianqi, head 
of the manned program, is so far the most reliable official statement. It 
is consistent with the official manned program web site (www.cmse.gov.cn). Others may be from 
various scientists (some of them are even not involved in the program) or just 
conceptual designs (remember those modified ISS drawings).

2. TG-1, 2, 3 are unlikely connected. As I know, TG-1 is 
just a docking target that lacks many facilities needed by scientific 
experiments. It even has not a sustainable life support system (just a 
guess). In initial reports, TG-1 is not called a spacelab. TG-2 and 3 
will be real mini-stations capable of human living and working inside 
them. IMO, with only two years of designed life and not designed for 
modular station, it doesn't make sense to dock them together. There 
are no any reports indicating TG-2 and 3 will become a modular station. 

3. The plan calls for 3 lab launches and 8 Shenzhous in 
the period of 2010 - 2015 (source: CMSE web site). But I think actual launches 
are very likely delayed into the second half of the next decade. As for 
reboosting capability, the lab itself and two docking Shenzhous will be enough 
during the active working period (definitely less than 2 years, most likely one 
year or a liitle more). All these labs will be launched by CZ-2F/G from Jiuquan 
and maybe some of Shenzhous launched by CZ-2F/H (a new model using YF-100 
LOX/Kerosene engine).

4. I haven't seen reports with details of the fuel 
transfer tech. But I know the plan of the cargo ship with fuel transfer 
capability(5,5t up cargo, ATV class). It will be launched from Hainan by CZ-5 
after 2014. The station will come as late as 2020. But it may be 
earlier. According to Zhang, the worse case is with only the core 
module. Please note that in Chinese reports, 2020 is the date of 
"completion", which I understand "workable", with a core and without other 
modules. If there is a gap between TG-3 and the station, it is possible coming 
with the TG-4 or something we do not know now.

5. I haven't seen any clues of funding impact caused by 
the earthquake and other things.

Chen Lan

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: 
  E.P. 
  Grondine 
  To: FPSPACE at friends-partners.org 

  Sent: Tuesday, September 30, 2008 11:06 
  AM
  Subject: [FPSPACE] Tiangong

Hi all - 

We've seen several statements and 
  models of different labs, and now this one:

http://www.cctv.com/program/journal/20080929/100561.shtml

The 
  other statement had a core ( presumably with panels and truss) and two modules 
  attached (Tiangong 2 and Tiangong 3)

Chen Lan, do you have any idea 
  what is going on?  

Clearly the lab is going to require a higher 
  launch rate than we've seen (once every 2 years), but what about reboost of 
  the station using existing SZ control systems? My current assumption is that 
  the lab is CZ3 launched out of the existing manned launch site.

The 
  station is not supposed to come until 2020 now, what happened to the 2015 date 
  for developing fuel transfer technologies? CZ5 slippage? Or did the earthquake 
  hit the space funding levels? Or the development of better oil/energy 
  technologies?

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