Tag Archive for 'space stations'

Long March 5 to Launch Space Station, Lunar Rovers

China will use its heavy-lift Long March 5 rocket to launch space stations, lunar rovers and large satellites beginning in 2014, according to a story on the China View website.

The rocket will be built in the Binhai New Area of Tianjin, a port city 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Beijing. It will then be transported by sea to a new launch complex that China is building on the island of Hainan. China expects to be able to construct a dozen Long March 5 rockets per year.

In a separate story, Chinese officials said they expect to launch a recoverable lunar rover in 2017 that would return soil samples to Earth. They view the rover as an essential stepping stone to human missions to the lunar surface.

Bigelow Aerospace Update: Team Heads for Russia

Hobby Space has an update on Bigelow Aerospace’s progress. The Las Vegas company is in the process of moving the Genesis II module and its support team to Russia. Meanwhile, the launch of the space station prototype could be delayed by problems with the Dnepr rocket.

For the complete article, click here.

Robert Bigelow’s bigger vision

Bigelow Aerospace plans a big announcement in April. Will it include space stations, hotels or sports complexes in orbit or inflatable lunar and Martian habitats? MSNBC’s Alan Boyle speculates over at Cosmic Log.