China will be launching its next human spacecraft in late September or early October, officials announced this week. The three-person flight will be China’s most ambitious space mission yet, featuring the country’s first spacewalk and the release of a small satellite. Chinese officials view the spacewalk as a crucial step toward the establishment of a space station.
The Xinhua News Agency has the full story. Space Daily also has a piece here.
China has kicked off construction on a new spaceport on the southern island of Hainan that will also include a theme park, according to a story on Chinaview.com.
Officials expect to complete the new launch center in about five years. They will use the facility to launch geostationary and polar-orbit satellites as well as deep-space probes. The space theme park will feature zero gravity rides and other attractions.
The Space Review’s Jeff Foust has some thoughts about whether there’s a new space race between the United States and China.
“While some people continue to wave a red flag (so to speak) about Chinese intentions in space, others argue that the real problem is not lunar exploration plans or ASAT weapons but rather a fundamental lack of understanding—on both sides of the Pacific,” Foust writes.
Chinese officials have confirmed plans to launch its third human space mission during the second half of 2008. The Shenzhou VII mission will feature the first spacewalk by Chinese taikonauts.
There are a couple of stories by the Xinhua news agency, including one about possible plans to broadcast the spacewalk on live television. Space.com also has a story here in which it discusses successful tests on the airlock and spacesuits for the upcoming flight.
China plans to begin launches of its heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket in 2014, according to the China View website. The new vehicle’s 25 metric ton launch capacity will be more than double Long March’s current 9.2-ton capacity.
Long March 5 will be launched from China’s new space center in Wengchang on the southern island of Hainan. The new center is scheduled for completion in 2012 and will begin formal operations the following year.
Meanwhile, officials also announced that a Long March 2F rocket will be used for a third human spaceflight mission later this year that will include a spacewalk.
Will China win the race to explore and colonize the moon? NASA chief Mike Griffin recently warned Congress that it could be if the space agency doesn’t get more money. The Houston Chronicle report is here.
Landeene Speaks About Challenges, Opportunities of Spaceport America
KRWG-TV’s Minding Your Business host Charles Comer recently talked with Steve Landeene, Executive Director of the New Mexico Spaceport Authority. Landeene talks about current and future goals for Spaceport America, a $200 million spaceport that New Mexico is building in the desert.
Best of What’s New: WhiteKnightTwo, Phoenix, Rocket Racer and GeoEye
Popular Science has named its Best of What’s New 2008 lists for the year’s top technological achievements. NASA’s Mars Phoenix Lander has been named Grand Award winner in the Aviation & Space category. The spacecraft spent more than five months analyzing soil and conditions near the martian north pole.
Other space- and rocket-related products on the list [...]
A Look at Virgin Galactic’s Millionaut Training Regime
Brooke Borel of Popular Science takes a look at centrifuge training that future millionauts are undergoing for Virgin Galactic flights. He reports:
“Safety is top concern for Virgin Galactic: da Silva and other trainees also underwent vigorous medical testing, including a heart stress test and a physical. No one with even the slightest heart condition is allowed to fly, [...]
The International Space Station - that $100 billion plus, taxpayer funded lab/millionaut vacation getaway - turned 10 years old this week as astronauts worked to install a new module to the facility. ISS won’t be finished until 2010. In about two months, we will celebrate the 25th anniversary of Ronald Reagan proposing the United States build the station.
Ah, progress….
Two other [...]
Did Money Talk in Getting Enomoto Booted Off, Ansari Put on ISS Space Tourism Flight?
Would-Be Space Tourist Sues for Refund
Associated Press
“A federal judge heard arguments Friday in [Daisuke] Enomoto’s lawsuit against Virginia-based Space Adventures, a firm that made its name brokering deals with the Russian space agency to put half a dozen “space tourists” in orbit for fees of $20 million or more….
“Space Adventures wants the lawsuit thrown out, [...]
Energia Gets Loan, Kazakh Cosmonaut to Fly Commercial
RIA Novesti reports that Sberbank has loaned Energia 2.9 billion rubles ($106 million) to allow the company to continue production of the Soyuz and Progress vehicles required for the International Space Station (ISS).
Meanwhile, the news agency says that Kazakhstan will be paying a commercial rate to send a cosmonaut to ISS. “‘The only way a [...]
