China to launch rocket in 2028 capable of sending crewed probe to moon

[xizhimen]

China to launch rocket in 2028 capable of sending crewed probe to moon​

Reuters
September 29, 20213:55 PM CST

ZHUHAI, China, Sept 29 (Reuters) - China is expected to launch its next generation of heavy-duty rockets in 2028 powerful enough to send a crewed spacecraft to the moon, the country's main space contractor said on Wednesday.
The new heavy-lift launch vehicle would be capable of putting a 15- to 50-tonne spacecraft on a trajectory to the moon, said Liu Bing, deputy designer at the China Aerospace Science and Technology.
It would also be powerful enough to place a probe weighing 12 to 44 tonnes on a trajectory to Mars, Liu told reporters at a major airshow in the southern city of Zhuhai, without naming the rocket.

China to launch rocket in 2028 capable of sending crewed probe to moon

China is expected to launch its next generation of heavy-duty rockets in 2028 powerful enough to send a crewed spacecraft to the moon, the country's main space contractor said on Wednesday.

www.reuters.com

 

[xizhimen]

Countdown to 2028 for launch of China’s super heavy-lift CZ-9 rocket​

Published: 2:00pm, 30 Sep, 2021

The CZ-9 is central to China’s deep space ambitions. Photo: Reuters

China is seven years away from having its new super heavy-lift space rocket ready for crewed lunar landings, according to its developer.

The Long March 9 (CZ-9) carrier vehicle will be able to up to 50 tonnes of payload to the moon, or up to 44 tonnes to Mars, Liu Bing, one of its designers from the First Institute of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), said on the sidelines of the Zhuhai Airshow on Wednesday.

“The rocket will be able to cover ranges by adjusting the number of boosters, depending on the destination,” Liu said.

The CZ-9 is central to China’s ambitions to go deeper into space. Benchmarked with the US SpaceX Starship, it is designed to send 140 tonnes to lower-Earth orbit (LEO), a giant leap from the CZ-5, China’s most powerful rocket which has an LEO capacity of just 25 tonnes.

Countdown to 2028 for launch of China’s super heavy-lift CZ-9 rocket

Vehicle will be designed to take crews to the moon and explore deeper into space.

www.scmp.com