HELSINKI – China launched an experimental reusable spacecraft on Friday following months of low-key preparations at the Jiukun Satellite Launch Center.
The Long March 2F vehicle launched the spacecraft into orbit after an indefinite launch.
China’s state media Xinhua reported mission success just three hours after the launch window opened at 1:23 a.m. east. The ‘reusable experimental spacecraft’ will currently conduct tests.
“After the period of in-orbit operation, the spacecraft will return to the scheduled landing site in China. It will test reusable technologies during the flight, which will provide technical support for the peaceful use of space, ‘the Xinhua report said.
Notices of airspace closure issued on Thursday are the first sign of an imminent launch. No images of the spacecraft or launch have been released yet. A higher-than-usual level of security around the mission also prevented outsourced images from appearing on social media.
China said in 2017 that its goal is to test a reusable spacecraft by 2020. The United States currently has a U.S. Air Force X-X37B spacecraft that is conducting its sixth mission into orbit.
Apparently Change work The Long March 2F was conducted at the launch tower in recent months for the launch vehicle. This led to speculation that the work would allow launches with payloads in excess of the Long March 2F standard.
Long March 2 FA has launched 14 times, including the Lofting Crew and Screw Shenzo Mission and two Tiangong Space Labs.
The Yuanwang space trekking ships were already located in the Atlantic and Ocean regions to support the spacecraft entering orbit from Jukun at a tilt of about 45 degrees.
A space plane project was included in the 2017 ‘Space Transportation Roadmap’ published by CASC. It also set a 2030 target for the development of a single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) spacecraft. Plans include fully reusable launch vehicles and, around 2045, nuclear-powered shuttles.
