Issue 17

03 Flash Archive · Members Only

China announces development of two types of super-heavy launch vehicles

China announced development work on two super-heavy lunar launch vehicles, including Long March 9 and a separate launcher based on existing five-meter cores and uprated YF-100 engines.

Author Greg Gillinger Published March 14, 2021

3 Mar 21: China announced it will work on development of two types of super-heavy launch vehicles for future lunar projects. See CCTV interview with LM-9 animation.

– The Long March 9 is designed to lift 140 tons to Low Earth orbit or 50 tons to trans-lunar injection and features four five-meter-diameter side boosters. The first test flight is expected in 2030.

– A separate, unnamed launcher is under development and expected to be based on existing 5-meter-diameter cores of the Long March 5, China’s largest launch vehicle, and up-rated versions of its YF-100 Keralox engines. However, there are challenges to combining components & technologies into a three-core launcher.

– “The successful development of these two types of rockets will greatly enhance the ability of the country’s spacecraft to enter outer space”—Jiang Jie, chief designer of the Long March 3A series.

China’s National People’s Conference is currently in session and expected to pass a final version of China’s 14th five-year plan covering 2021-2025 on 10 March. The new plan should provide new insight into China’s longer-term space priorities and objectives, with a new “space white paper” to follow later in the year.

Long March 9 and proposed super-heavy launch vehicles.

Future Chinese launch-vehicle concept.

04 Flash Archive · Members Only

The US and allies pursuing international norms for space

The United States and allies were drafting language supporting international rules of behavior in space, with momentum building around norms intended to make the domain safer and more sustainable.

Author Greg Gillinger Published March 14, 2021

24 Feb 21: The United States and allies are drafting language in support of an international effort to adopt rules of behavior in space.

– Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt, commander of U.S. Space Command’s combined force space component at Vandenberg AFB, CA, said international momentum is building for the adoption of a binding set of rules to make space safer and sustainable.

– Defense and State Department officials are drafting language on the U.S. position on a resolution approved in December by the United Nations General Assembly which calls for standardized and recognized “norms, rules and principles of responsible behaviors” in space.

– “The U.K. has stepped up,” Burt said. The United States is working with the U.K. and with a broader coalition that includes Canada, France, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

– The UN has asked countries to submit input by May 3 for inclusion in a report to be reviewed by the UN General Assembly this summer.

Maj. Gen. DeAnna Burt discussing international norms for space.

06 Flash Archive · Members Only

Geek Out! A Study of Russian Optical Systems

A study of Russia’s optical reconnaissance systems examines aging Persona satellites, the planned Razdan replacement, and smaller EMKA/Razbeg-class imagery spacecraft.

Author Greg Gillinger Published March 14, 2021

Geek Out! A Study of Russian Optical Systems

Russia currently has only two operational Persona optical reconnaissance satellites in orbit, both of which may already have exceeded their design lifetime.

– 3 Persona satellites were launched, the first failed shortly after arriving on orbit. Operational Persona include Kosmos-2486 (2013) and Kosmos-2506 (2015). (VIDEO)

– The Kosmos-2486 and -2506 orbits are synchronized to provide maximum coverage of areas of interest on Earth. Despite the trouble-plagued start of both missions, the satellites appear to be operating normally ever since.

However, if their design lifetime is five years, both have exceeded it by now.

– The Persona satellites operate in conjunction with two military data relay satellites named Garpun (“Harpoon”). They were launched in Sep 2011 and Dec 2015 after many years of delays (the project was initiated in 1993). The second satellite is known to have been used for laser communication experiments with the third Persona satellite using an on-board laser terminal called LT-150. Only two of the Garpun satellites were manufactured and their design lifetime is unknown. A constellation of at least three satellites is required for full-time coverage.

– The Persona will be replaced by more capable Razdan satellites carrying a primary mirror roughly the same size as those believed to be aboard US reconnaissance satellites (estimated to be 2.4 meters, capable of .15m resolution), but it is unclear when these will be ready to fly.

– Procurement documentation suggests two Razdan satellites are under construction. Documentation released in September 2017 pointed to possible launch dates in late 2020 and late 2021, but these dates are likely to have slipped since then.

– An experimental satellite launched in 2018 is likely the precursor of a constellation of smaller satellites to augment imagery provided by the big satellites.

– On March 29, 2018, Russia launched a small military satellite (EMKA), Kosmos-2525, from Plesetsk. It was placed into an orbit of roughly 320 by 350 KM with an inclination of 96.64°.

– EMKA is described as an “Experimental Small Satellite”, to serve as the basis for a “space-based Earth remote sensing complex.”

– EMKA may be comparable to the first in a series of American commercial Earth imaging satellites called SkySat-1 with a maximum resolution of 0.9 meters in panchromatic mode.

Russia is relying on two aging Persona satellites to provide high-resolution imagery in the interests of the Ministry of Defense. Both are functioning normally after overcoming significant problems during initial in-orbit testing. However, there is no guarantee they will continue to operate until the next-generation Razdan satellites are ready. This may be the reason for the development of a much smaller and simpler type of spy satellite (Razbeg) to help bridge the gap to Razdan and complement the imagery provided by the big satellites. The likely experimental precursor of these satellites (EMKA/Kosmos-2525) reached the launch pad just 2.5 years after being approved. The resolution offered by the smaller satellites will not match that of Razdan. The Ministry of Defense also operates two four-ton observation satellites called Bars-M (launched as Kosmos-2503 and 2515), but these are used for low-resolution cartographic imaging.