Chinese Space News (May - September, 2001)

• [September 6, 2001] New Name for CAMEC
  In an official news release, Chine Aerospace Mechinery and Electronic Corporation(CAMEC) announces that it will be remaned to China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASIC) from September 6.

• [September 5, 2001] China Proposes to Launch WSO/UV using Long March Rocket
  WSO/UV(The World Space Observatory/Ultraviolet) is an ESA proposed multinational space science project. The WSO telescope has a 1.7 diameter mirror with one UV imaging and one UV spectrometry instrument. It will be delivered into an orbit around the Earth-Sun LaGrange 2 point (L2). In the "WSO/UV and UV Astronomy" Science Conference held in Xiangshan, Beijing in May, Chinese scientists proposed to launch the space telescope using a Long March rocket. Accurding to current plan, it will be launched by a Russian Proton Block-DM rocket in July 1, 2006. China will also participate the WSO/UV Phase A study.

• [September 4, 2001] CZ-3C Qualified for Flight
  On August 23, the CZ-3C launcher passed a critical review. Experts from China Aerospace Science and Technology Coorportion concluded that the new launcher has been ready to enter service. With two strap-on boosters, CZ-3C is capable of sending a 3800kg payload into GTO. CZ-3C development started in 1995 but was suspended due to the 1996 CZ-3B failure. (CALT)

• [September 4, 2001] Altantic Bird 1 May Shift to Delta 4
  Boeing claims to have collected some "60 commercial launch agreements and contracts" for its new Delta 4 series. The customer for the inaugural launch, currently planned on April 30, 2002, will be disclosed soon. According to unofficial sources, the maiden flight of Delta 4 could loft Eutelsat's Atlantic Bird 1, on behalf of the satellite's manufacturer, Alenia Spazio. The satellite was initially planned to fly a Chinese CZ-3A but failed to receive its necessary U.S. export license to China for its U.S.-built components. Although Alenia Spazio earlier claimed that it had contingency plans to replace the satellite's U.S.-built elements by similar European equipement, it could have been proposed very competitive conditions by Boeing. (Orbital Report)

• [September 4, 2001] Taiwan Set to Team up with Russia in Satellite Launch
  Taiwan is expected to join forces with Russia for the first time in a satellite-launching deal after the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding recently, officials said Monday. "We have recently signed a memorandum with several research institutes based in St. Petersburg on a low-orbit satellite launching project," said an official at the National Space Programme Office (NSPO), who declined to be named. "The satellite launch is mainly designed for research and experiment," he said. (AFP)

• [August 31, 2001] New Fairing for CZ-3B
  To meet the challenges of the big GEO satellite market, China is developing a new fairing for CZ-3B. The new fairing has diameter of 4.2 meter while diameter of current CZ-3B fairing is only 4.0m. A fairing separation test was performed successfully in April. A final test --- static test is scheduled in October. The new fairing will be available to the market in 2002. (CGWIC)

• [August 31, 2001] Atlantic Bird 1 and APR-3 Launches Still Uncertain
  Intelsat said it postponed deadline to launch Astrium-manufactured APR-3 satellite that still hadn't received presidential waiver it needed for launch aboard Chinese Long March rockets. Both Intelsat and Eutelsat, which was to launch Alenia Spazio-manufactured Atlantic Bird-1 satellite aboard same rocket, said in May they were preparing alternative plans in expectation that U.S. would deny permission. Space analyst said he would be very surprised if license wasn't issued eventually because U.S. "wouldn't want to make it more difficult to launch overseas... That would encourage European manufacturers to become more independent in every area of satellite manufacturing." (Communications Daily)

• [August 31, 2001] Shenzhou-2 Orbital Module Crashed into the Pacfic Ocean
  SZ-2 Orbital Module reentered into the atmosphere at about 09:05 GMT on August 24. The reentry point is near 33.1 deg S in latitude and 260.4 deg E in longitude, over the western Pacific Ocean between Easter Island and Chile. Last month, China claimed that the six month Shenzhou-2 OM mission has been successful. Meanwhile, rumors of SZ-3 launch in August is apprently not true. It is confirmed by CALT that the thrid CZ-2F was under final test in Beijing in early August. New rumors indicate the launch would happen sometime in October. (SpaceDaily, CALT)

• [August 18, 2001] Small Satellie Company Formed
  Areospace Dongfanghong Satellite Ltd, a company to develop small satellites, was formed this month. Major shareholder of the company is China Academy of Space Technology(CAST) which developed most of China's satellites in past. The new company's first satellite is HY-1 ocean observation satellite. HY-1 launch was planned this year but it has been delayed again to next year. Another small satellite based on the same bus(CAST968), the Asian Multitask Satellite will enter engineering phase soon. Besides, the company will develop the Disaster and Environment Monitoring Constellation and satellite bus for the DoubleStar mission. Constalletions of navigation, imaging and mobile communication satellites have also been listed in the company's long term plan. (SpaceChina)

• [August 18, 2001] China to Launch 6 Satellites for 2008 Olympic Games
  China plans to put six meteorological satellites into orbit from 2002 to 2008 to offer comprehensive weather services for the 2008 Olympic Games. The Fengyun 1D weather satellite will be projected into space by a Long March 4 carrier rocket by June 2002, according to a report of Beijing Evening News. The other five satellites to be launched by 2008 include FY-2C in 2003, FY-3A in 2004, FY-3B and FY-2D in 2006, and FY-3C in 2008, according to Dong Chaohua, director of the National Satellite Meteorological Center. (Xinhua)

• [August 18, 2001] Taiwan's Pico Satellite
  Taiwan is developing a US $289,000 pico-class satellite, called Yamsat, with Stanford University, USA which will be launched on a Russian Denpr booster in May 2002. Taiwan's NSPO will be responsible for development of the 1-kg satellite. (SSC, China News Agency)

• [Auguat 18, 2001] China Plans TV Satellite
  China's first direct TV broadcasting satellite will be launched in next 2-3 years, the National Development and Planning Committee reveals in a recently released report. China is now undertaking broadcasting tests using current communication satellites in orbit. The planned first TV satellite will use DFH-3 bus. China hopes that the TV satellite could bring in a new industry sector with with market value of a hundred billions RMB Yuan. (China News)

• [July 30, 2001] Military Satellite Launch Rumor
  The Sun, a Hong Kong based newspaper, reports that China launched two military satellites from Jiuquan on July 27. It is said that the satellites were launched by two rockets within only two hours. However the event is highly unlikely. According to data from The Orbital Information Group (OIG) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, there are no space objects registered since July 23. On the other side, Jiuquan South Launch Center's only launch pad is preparing the Shenzhou 3 launch. And the North Launch Center has only one shared service tower, though there are two launch pads, which is impossible to support two launches within two hours.

• [July 30, 2001] ESA To Help China Join ISS
  China may gain access to the International Space Station (ISS) with the help of the European Space Agency (ESA), the Hong Kong-based pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po reports on July 28. The newspaper discloses that ESA and the Chinese space agency China National Space Administration (CNSA) have reached "an intention to collaborate" towards admitting China to the ISS project in the near future. According to unnamed sources, ESA will discuss and set the timeline during its ministerial level Council meeting in November in Edinburgh, U.K. (SpaceDaily)

• [July 27, 2001] OlympicSat Planned
  China will launch two small satellites on top of one rocket by end of this year. The first one is an engineering test satellite developed by Tsinghua University. The another one is a specially designed educational satellite which will be used by teenages all over China for satellite observation and earth observation in next two years. China plans to build 300 ground stations for this student project. These two satellites have been unofficially named OlympicSat. (Beijing Evening)

• [July 24, 2001] China Preparing for Shenzhou 3
  China is to launch its third unmanned spaceship soon to pave the way for sending the first Chinese astronaut into space next year, it was reported Monday.  China is expected to launch Shenzhou III soon as pre-launch preparations were "in full swing" in China's Jiuquan Launching Center, the Chinese-language newspaper Wen Wei Po said. A manned space flight could happen as early as the latter half of next year, depending on the successful unmanned test flights of Shenzhou III and Shenzhou IV. Shenzhou IV is expected to be launched before the end of this year, the report said. (AFP)

• [July 24, 2001] Lunar Plan Unveiled
  Hangkong Zhishi, a Chinese aerospace magazine, unveils China's lunar programs, for the first time with details and a time table. According to the article, Chinese scientists has done studies in the field for many years. They have drafted a four-step long term plan. The first step is a flyby or orbiting mission before 2005. The spacecraft may use the DFH-3 bus. The second step is soft-landing missions before 2010. The third and the fourth step, from 2010 to 2020 and from 2020 to 2030, are robotic explorations focusing on rover and sample return missions. After 2030, China plans to establish a lunar base and make manned flights.

• [July 11, 2001] Shenzhou Orbital Module Works Well
  China announced today that the Shenzhou 2 Orbital Module has been working well for more than 170 days. Scientific experiments on the spacecraft so far are very successful. For example, in this mission, China obtained comprehensive Gamma-Ray Burst data for the first time. Such a large scale, long duration space science mission is considered a breakthrough for China. (Xinhua)

• [July 11, 2001] DoubleStar Agreement Signed
  ESA Director General Antonio Rodota and Luan Enjie, Administrator of the CNSA, signed an official agreement on July 9 that will enable European experiments to be flown on Chinese satellites for the first time. ESA has agreed to contribute 8 million euros to the Double Star programme. This funding will be used for refurbishment and pre-integration of the European instruments, acquisition of data for 4 hours per day and coordination of scientific operations. (ESA, CNSA)

• [June 25, 2001] Satellite Constellation Project Seeks Intenational Cooperation
  China National Space Administration released an investigation form (PDF file) on its web site for possible international collaborations on the planned Environmental and Disaster Monitoring Satellite Constellation. According to information in the form, China will offer opportunities to international partners for providing one or more small satellites, piggy-back instruments or their components, cash investment, as well as applications of the constellation. The planned small satellite constellation will consists of four optical imagging satellites and four radar satellites. (CNSA)

• [June 20, 2001] Taurus Rocket Selected to Launch Taiwan's ROCSAT-2
  Orbital Sciences Corporation announced that its Taurus rocket, one of the world's premier small space launch vehicles, has been selected by Taiwan's National Space Program Office (NSPO) to launch the ROCSAT-2 remote sensing satellite. The primary objective of the ROCSAT-2 satellite mission, schedule d for 2003, is to observe and monitor via satellite the terrestrial and marine environment and natural resources throughout Taiwan, its remote islands and surrounding ocean for civil applications. In addition, the ROCSAT-2 satellit e also carries a "Sprites Imager" scientific instrument to study the electrodynamical coupling between thunderclouds and the upper atmosphere by taking images of lightening discharges. Neither party disclosed the value of the award, which is subject to final contract execution. (Orbital Sciences)

• [June 7, 2001] New Launcher Graphics Appears on Internet
  This is the first time that graphics of the China's planned new family of space launch vehicle is made available. A greyscale picture of what is called "CZ-5" launcher was posted on an Internet site without indication of its source. The picture is consistent with earlier official reports of the new launcher. There are three basic models with core stages in diameter of 5m, 3.35m and 2.25m. The new launcher uses 120t thruster kerosene/LOX engines on base stages and 50t thruster LH2/LOX on upper stages. (picture credit: www.star.net.cn)

• [June 5, 2001] Conceptual Lunar Rover Showcased
  Scale model of a Chinese lunar rover is in display theses days in an exhibition in Beijing. The model is reportedly based on a prototype developed by Tsinghua University. The solar powered rover has six wheels and is equipped with a 3D camera. It is said the Tsinghua rover is one of several prototypes under devleopment. However China so far has no decision on the lunar rover exploration project. (Beijing Youth)

• [June 5, 2001] CBERS-2 Progress
  Assembly and testing of the second China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellite(CBERS) in Brazil go smoothly. Currently the satellite is in good status. According to the plan, it will complete electrical tests in June and mechanical and thermal vacuum tests in October. After then, the CBERS-2 satellite will be transported back to China for noise and reliability tests. It will be ready for launch by end of December. (SpaceChina.com)

• [June 5, 2001] Satellite Exports Getting Review
  In 1999, the U.S. Congress enacted legislation making it harder for companies to win government approval of satellite exports. Now it is considering legislation that would reverse the changes. Separately, the Bush administration is thinking of clearing the way for U.S. companies to have their satellites launched on Chinese rockets again. All of this is happening at the instigation of a U.S. satellite industry that says hundreds of millions of dollars in sales have gone to European competitors because of delays caused by the stricter procedures. The State Department is reviewing at least three applications for satellite launches in China. State Department officials privately predict that at least one application may be approved soon. (Los Angeles Times)

• [May 26, 2001] Beijing to Build Space Theme Park
  China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) recently proposed a plan to build a space theme park, located nearby CALT campus, in Beijing. According to the plan, there will be real-size mockups of major launch vehicles and spacecraft in the world, exhibition halls, mega-screen cinema, multimedia space experiencing facilities and an academic conference center. The mockup list includes ISS, US or Russian space shuttle and manned spacecraft, Chinese Long March launchers, as well as various satellites. A launch tower with a CZ-2F is also planned. Some operational CALT facilities including the Long March assembly building are also planned to open to visitors. The estimated investment of the park is about 1.1 Billion Yuan (USD 130 millions). (CALT)

• [May 26, 2001] China Builds AMS-2 Component
  CALT has completed building of the ground test article of the ECAL (Electromagnetic Calorimeter), a component on AMS(Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer)-2, and has delivered it to AMS European partners for testing. AMS-2 is the improved cosmic antimatter detector based on the AMS-1 that flew on STS-91 in June 1998. CALT will deliver the flight model of ECAL in 2002. The AMS-2 will finally be installed on ISS. (CALT)
  

• [May 26, 2001] FY-1C Exceeds Design Life
  China's Fengyun 1-C meteorological satellite so far has been operating for two full years. Resources from the National Satellite Meteorological Center (NSMC) say that despite the termination of the satellite's designed lifespan, Fengyun 1-C is still in good health. Currently, the Fengyun 1-C satellite reportedly performs well as a whole, as it is in a stable posture, enjoys adequate power supply and presents a clear cloud picture. (People's Daily)

• [May 6, 2001] CALT to Introduce New Upper Stages
  China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) plans to launch the Sino-ESA DoubleStar satellites and the Korean KOMPSAT-2 using its CZ-2C rockets with a newly introduced solid upper stage. The CTS (Top Stage for CZ-2C), apprently developed from the early Smart Dispenser for Iridium launches, is a three-axis stabilized upper stage consisting of the Spacecraft Adapter and the Orbital Maneuver System. It is capable of putting about  1400kg of payload into the 900km Sun-Synchronous Orbit. CALT is also reportedly to introduce a new upper stage called ETS (Top Stage for CZ-2E) for CZ-2E. (Source: Compiled from CALT materials)

• [May 6, 2001] China Eyes Small and Nano-Satellites
  Chinese scientists revealed further details of its small and nano satellites plans in a space symposium held in Shanghai from 17-20 April. TS-1 (Tansuo-1), a 150-kg microsatellite with a 10-meter stereo resolution observation capacity is being developed with input from Astrium, according to Dr. Zhang Yingchun of the Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT). Dr. Zhang Xiaomin, of Tsinghua University Space Center, said his institute was working on three nanosatellites, including a 10-kg MEMS technology test platform, to be launched in 2002, along with a 50-kg and a 100-kg nanosatellite, the latter to be developed jointly with Surrey. Also under development, according to Zhang, is a 1-kg picosatellite. Yin Xingliang, Vice President of CAMEC (China Aerospace Machinery and Electronics Corporation) said that CAMEC is developing a solid-propellant launch vehicle (Kaituozhe-1) which could be launched from a mobile, truck-based platform, "anywhere in the country". Development of the launcher is "in progress" and the vehicle could be tested as early as next year. (Source: SpaceDaily, Philippe Cosyn)

• [May 4, 2001] Taiwan, US sign Accord on Weather Satellites
  Taiwan and the United States on Thursday signed a joint venture agreement to produce and launch six micro satellites for weather forecasting. The agreement aims at putting the satellites into orbit towards the end of 2005 in line with Taiwan's ROCSAT-3 project. Taiwan will play a key role in the manufacturing of the six micro satellites with five local companies likely to be awarded the contracts to provide major components. The six satellites will be launched by the US military, but Taiwan official says they are designed purely for weather purposes. The project is part of Taiwan's 15-year space program launched in October 1991 at an estimated cost of 13.6 billion Taiwan dollars (413 million US). (AFP)

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