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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/scie ... ft-space-force.html The NEW space race: China launches top-secret military plane into orbit just one day after US' delayed mystery launch - and Space Force chief says timing is 'no coincidence' Space Force said it's 'extremely interested' in China's covert CSSHQ spacecraft Pics of this Chinese rival to Space Force's classified X-37B craft have yet to leak READ MORE: Secret unmanned US spaceship, X-37B, causes chaos as it lands in Florida with residents fearing it was UFO — after its sonic boom rocked houses By MATTHEW PHELAN SENIOR SCIENCE REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM PUBLISHED: 14:46 EST, 15 December 2023 | UPDATED: 14:47 EST, 15 December 2023 27 shares 53 View comments China successfully launched its top secret, unmanned spacecraft Thursday evening, which the US Space Force chief said was 'no coincidence.' The US had planned to launch its 'spy' plan on Wednesday, but the mission was grounded due to technical issues. 'It's probably no coincidence that they're trying to match us in timing and sequence of this,' General Chance Saltzman, Space Force's Chief of Space Operations, said. An announcement in the Chinese press described the purpose of the space plane as providing 'technical support for the peaceful use of space' - but the nation has kept details under wraps, as has American officials about their craft. China successfully launched its top secret, unmanned spacecraft — the Asian superpower's answer to the US Space Force's own X-37B unmanned, covert spaceplane — into orbit for the third time this past Thursday. Its purpose: 'technical support for the peaceful use of space' +5 View gallery China successfully launched its top secret, unmanned spacecraft — the Asian superpower's answer to the US Space Force's own X-37B unmanned, covert spaceplane — into orbit for the third time this past Thursday. Its purpose: 'technical support for the peaceful use of space' But the current Chief of Space Operations for US Space Force, General Chance Saltzman (above), told reporters that the timing appeared linked to the cancelation of America's plan to relaunch the X-37B back into space for another classified mission this past Monday +5 View gallery But the current Chief of Space Operations for US Space Force, General Chance Saltzman (above), told reporters that the timing appeared linked to the cancelation of America's plan to relaunch the X-37B back into space for another classified mission this past Monday TRENDING SpaceX launch TONIGHT, which some say is to deliver weapons to space 135 viewing now Elon Musk SLAMS Microsoft Word's inclusiveness checker 3k viewing now A doorbell camera captures 'world's most terrifying sound'' 29.8k viewing now 'These are the two of the most watched objects on orbit while they're on orbit,' Saltzman told reporters on Wednesday after trouble with a SpaceX rocket scuttled Monday's planned X-37B launch. Speaking at the Space Force Association's Spacepower Conference in Orlando, General Saltzman emphasized the sophistication of these unmanned and reusable orbital spycrafts, which can offer greater operational security than spy satellites. 'The ability to put something into orbit, do some things, and bring it home and take a look at the results is powerful,' Saltzman said. 'It's no surprise that the Chinese are extremely interested in our spaceplane,' he said. 'And we're extremely interested in theirs.' Nevertheless — despite years of promo photos of America's Boeing-designed X-37B covert spacecraft — no images of its Chinese rival have leaked to the public. The closest media has come to seeing the craft, dubbed the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft, or CSSHQ, may likely have been footage of an exhibit at the Henan Jiyuan No.1 middle school in China in August of 2022. Video of the exhibit, an outdoor display of a crashed Long March 2F rocket responsible for launching the CSSHQ into orbit, was poured over by aerospace industry watchers for clues about its one-time covert spycraft payload. Images of this Long March 2F wreckage, recovered from the second CSSHQ launch, bolstered rumors that the rocket's payload capacity of nearly eight metric tons would indicate that CSSHQ is similar in size to the X-37B, according to SpaceNews. The video appeared first on China's Sina Weibo social media site, then TikTok, YouTube and X. The closest media has come to seeing China's secret spacecraft, dubbed the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft, or CSSHQ, may likely have been footage of an exhibit at a middle school in China in 2022 - posted first to China's Sina Weibo social media site, then X (above) +5 View gallery The closest media has come to seeing China's secret spacecraft, dubbed the Chinese reusable experimental spacecraft, or CSSHQ, may likely have been footage of an exhibit at a middle school in China in 2022 - posted first to China's Sina Weibo social media site, then X (above) This Thursday's CSSHQ launch comes hot on the heels of its last covert mission seven months ago: a lengthy 276-day operation that began on August 4, 2022. By comparison, CSSHQ's first launch, in September 2020, lasted only two days. According to a report by China's Xinhua News Agency, this third launch aims to conduct 'reusable technology verification' and 'space science experiments' as part of 'technical support for the peaceful use of space.' The launch of the CSSHQ encased in a Long March 2F rocket, occurred at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center based in northwestern China. The US Space Force 'spy' space shuttle X-37B (above) was due to launch by SpaceX as part of a classified mission Monday but was forced to stand down minutes before it was due to take off +5 View gallery The US Space Force 'spy' space shuttle X-37B (above) was due to launch by SpaceX as part of a classified mission Monday but was forced to stand down minutes before it was due to take off Once a US Air Force project, the X-37B can theoretically carry weapons into space, possibly to defend US satellites against anti-satellite weapons China and Russia have accused the US government of using the craft as a bomber Once a US Air Force project, the X-37B can theoretically carry weapons into space, possibly to defend US satellites against anti-satellite weapons. China and Russia have accused the US of using the craft as a bomber. X-37B has been performing its classified missions since 2010 The original purpose for the Long March 2F was transport for Chinese astronaut crews headed into Earth's orbit, but the rocket has been modified to carry China's unpiloted robotic spaceplane as its payload. The X-37B was due to be launched by SpaceX as part of a classified mission Monday, but it was forced to stand down just minutes before it took off. Elon Musk's SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket bearing the covert spacecraft was scheduled to take off at 8:14pm ET from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Florida. But a reported 'ground issue' resulted in the mission being axed at the eleventh hour. 'Standing down from tonight’s Falcon Heavy launch due to a ground side issue,' a statement from SpaceX said. 'Vehicle and payload remain healthy. The team is resetting for the next launch opportunity of the USSF-52 mission, which is no earlier than tomorrow night.' Monday's mission would have been the secretive X-37B's seventh since it debuted in 2010, and most of the craft's payload is classified. The X-37B can theoretically carry weapons into space, possibly to defend US satellites against anti-satellite weapons. While China and Russia have accused the US of using the craft as a bomber, other experts have speculated that the Space Force craft is used to run spy missions: Keep an eye on Chinese space operations or test US reconnaissance systems. WHAT IS THE MYSTERIOUS X-37B ORBITAL TEST VEHICLE? The US Air Force's unmanned X-37B space plane has flown a number of secret missions to date. Each time it has carried a mystery payload on long-duration flights in Earth orbit. The spacecraft looks similar to Nasa's space shuttle but is much smaller. The X-37B is about 29ft (8.8m) long and 9.5ft (2.9 m) tall. Like a shuttle, X-37B is blasted into orbit by a rocket. However, it lands using a runway like a normal aircraft. The X-37B is too small to carry people onboard, but does have a cargo bay similar to that of a pickup truck, which is just large enough to carry a small satellite +5 View gallery Like a shuttle, X-37B is blasted into orbit by a rocket. However, it lands using a runway like a normal aircraft. The X-37B is too small to carry people onboard, but does have a cargo bay similar to that of a pickup truck, which is just large enough to carry a small satellite It has a wingspan of just less than 15ft (4.6 m). At launch, it weighs 11,000lbs (4,990kg). The craft is taken into orbit on a rocket but lands like the space shuttle by gliding down to Earth. Its main mission payload is a mystery, although Nasa has revealed it has a hauled a number of materials experiments aboard into space. |
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https://spacenews.com/china-laun ... ane-for-third-time/ Liftoff of the Long March 2F carrying Shenzhou-12 at 9:22 p.m. Eastern, June 16, 2021. Liftoff of the Long March 2F carrying Shenzhou-12 at 9:22 p.m. Eastern, June 16, 2021. Credit: CASC HELSINKI — China launched its experimental reusable spacecraft for the third time Thursday while maintaining strict secrecy around the mission. A Long March 2F rocket lifted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert Dec. 14, sending a “reusable test spacecraft” into low Earth orbit, Chinese language state media Xinhua reported. Airspace closure notices suggest a launch time of around 10:00 a.m. Eastern (1500 UTC), but the report, published within an hour of expected launch, did not provide a time. The terse report stated that the test spacecraft will “operate in orbit for a period of time” before returning to its intended landing site in China. “During this period, reusable technology verification and space science experiments will be carried out as planned to provide technical support for the peaceful use of space,” the report read, according to a machine translation. The gap between the spacecraft’s first and second missions—launching in 2020 and 2022 respectively—was one year and 11 months. The third launch comes just over seven months after the spacecraft returned to Earth after its 276-day-long second mission. The shortened time between missions suggests the spacecraft’s developer, the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), has made progress in aspects relating to reusability of the spacecraft. U.S. Space Force space domain awareness later cataloged the spacecraft in a 333 by 348-kilometer-altitude orbit inclined by 50 degrees. Space launch activity observer Jonathan McDowell estimated launch occurred at around 1412 UTC, based on the orbital data. China has revealed no details of its experimental reusable spacecraft project. No images of any of the launches have been published. The suspected spaceplane is launched vertically on a Long March 2F, a rocket used to launch China’s Shenzhou crewed missions. The launcher has a payload capacity of just over eight metric tons to low Earth orbit. This suggests that the spacecraft could be somewhat similar in size and function to U.S. Air Force’s X-37B spaceplane. This notion is reinforced by apparent images of the payload fairing wreckage recovered from the second launch and posted on the Sina Weibo social media site. The images give possible clues as to the dimensions and shape of the spacecraft. Fairing of CZ2F rocket which launched CSSHQ on Aug 5 being openly exhibited in Henan Jiyuan No.1 middle school. If the bumps are spare spaces for wings, CSSHQ’s wingspan could be larger than fairing’s diameter 4.2m. HD: https://t.co/aPZ6MvDdZq Credit: TikTok Douyin@hnsjydyzx pic.twitter.com/6i3mXPvFLe — CNSA Watcher (@CNSAWatcher) August 14, 2022 The previous missions included deploying satellites into orbit and may have involved scientific and other experiments. The spacecraft also performed numerous small and much larger orbital maneuvers during its second flight. The third flight will likely have a different scope and seek to further test the spacecraft’s capabilities. The reusable spacecraft may be the orbital segment which will operate in combination with a reusable suborbital first stage. A reusable suborbital spacecraft was tested for the first time in 2021. A second mission launched in August 2022. The suborbital craft uses a vertical takeoff and a horizontal landing. CASC has previously stated plans to develop a fully reusable, two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) space transportation system. CASC’s spaceplane project last year acquired national level funding from the Natural Science Foundation of China. Sino-U.S. space competition The U.S. started launching its reusable X-37B in 2010. It is set to launch on its seventh mission on a Falcon Heavy rocket later this month. The launch has been hit with delays in recent days. The mission will test new orbital regimes, experiment with space domain awareness technologies, and investigate radiation effects on materials provided by NASA. The Chinese and Boeing’s X-37B projects may, despite opacity surrounding respective intentions and capabilities, be illustrative of the broader space situation. “Based on what little information we have, I think the Shenlong [Chinese spaceplane] and the X-37B are likely doing many of the same missions,” Brian Weeden, Director of Program Planning at the Secure World Foundation, told SpaceNews. “That is, primarily being used for experimenting and testing new technologies, sensors, and perhaps even operational practices. “I think both programs are reflective of the current relationship between the US and China,” says Weeden. “Each sees the other’s secretive spaceplane program as a potential threat and destabilizing weapon, while insisting that their own program is important but benign.” “That to me signals that we are in the midst of a security dilemma in space, where actions taken by both sides to reinforce their own security end up adding to the instability in the overall relationship.” Mission Launch Date Landing Date Duration Time Since Previous Mission Launch Site Landing Site Mission 1 September 4, 2020 September 6, 2020 2 days N/A Jiuquan spaceport Lop Nur air base Mission 2 August 4, 2022 May 8, 2023 ~276 days 1 year, 11 months Jiuquan spaceport Lop Nur air base Mission 3 December 14, 2023 N/A N/A 7 months, 6 days Jiuquan spaceport N/A Mission information for China’s experimental reusable spacecraft. The development of reusable spacecraft technology is part of China’s broader strategy to become a major spacefaring nation. Chinese President Xi Jinping has set a national goal for China to become a powerful aerospace country. Xi also noted the space industry to be a critical element of overall national strategy. Further Chinese efforts CASIC, a sister giant defense and space contractor, is working on its own TSTO spaceplane, named Tengyun. Chinese commercial firm Space Transportation raised more than $46.3 million for its hypersonic spaceplane plans in 2021. The firm stated last year it was aiming for space tourism test flights in 2025. China has been seeking to boost its flexibility and range of access to space in recent years. In 2014 the government allowed private capital into the space sector to help foster a commercial space sector. Commercial launch firms now operate a number of solid and liquid launch vehicles. Hop tests are now underway at Jiuquan as firms attempt to develop reusable rocket capabilities. CASC is meanwhile developing a super heavy-lift reusable launch vehicle named Long March 9. The Long March 10, intended to launch crew and take astronauts to the moon, will have a potentially reusable first stage. — |
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[color=var(--yt-spec-text-primary)][size=1.3]@victorkrawchuk9141[color=var(--yt-endpoint-color,var(--yt-spec-text-primary))]7 hours ago [color=var(--yt-spec-text-primary)]In the US, will non-T-Mobile cellphones be able to use Starlink Direct-to-Cell service to make emergency 911/SOS calls? Today, cellphones without a SIM card can make emergency calls. If so, Starlink Direct-to-Cell service could have a tremendous benefit to everyone regardless of their providers. Thank you for your video, I also had no idea that China's copycat X-37B just launched...! |
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