Reference News Network December 24 report: According to the US Space website on December 22, China is committed to launching its next-generation low-cost cargo spacecraft for its space station for the first time.
The cargo spacecraft, named Qingzhou, was developed by the Innovation Institute of Small Satellite, Chinese Academy of Sciences, aiming to complement China's current Tianzhou cargo spacecraft. It has the advantages of smaller size, lighter weight, and lower cost.
China completed the construction of its space station in 2022 and plans to maintain long-term manned presence on the space station for at least the next ten years.
China also plans to expand this orbital outpost beyond its current three-module T-shaped configuration, so new flexible solutions are needed to ensure the supply of supplies to the space station.
According to recent reports by Chinese media, after completing the design review in June, the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft officially entered the preliminary prototype development phase.
The preliminary prototype of the spacecraft has a diameter of about 3.3 meters and weighs 5 tons, capable of transporting up to 1.8 tons of cargo into orbit. Its hybrid structure combines a sealed cabin for transporting crew supplies and precision instruments, as well as an unsealed tail cone that can carry external payloads and conduct space exposure experiments.
"Now we have completed large-scale experiments, and now we are loading the remaining single units and confirming their status, as well as conducting final tests. The overall test results are relatively good," said Wu Huaying, deputy chief designer of the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft.
According to the introduction, in 2026, the Qingzhou cargo spacecraft will enter the formal prototype development and testing phase, and will complete the production by the end of 2026, and then complete its maiden flight mission according to the needs of China's space station.
The Qingzhou cargo spacecraft is one of two new spacecraft commissioned by the China Manned Space Engineering Office to enhance China's space transportation capabilities. The other is the "Haolong" cargo spaceplane, which is being developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Research Institute under AVIC and is a reusable spaceplane. (Translated by Wang Diqing)
Original: toutiao.com/article/7587241161090220544/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author.