China announces plans to launch the world's largest "space traveler" with 20 passengers

"Space travel" service, which carries civilians on a small rocket to the entrance of outer space and provides a zero gravity experience by trajectory trajectory flight is a service by Virgin Governor Sir Richard Branson "Virgin Galactic"SpaceShip Two" of the spacecraft and XCOR Aerospace's spaceship "LynxWe are promoting development aimed at realizing. Besides this, we are pursuing the development of rocket technology so that "EspionX" by Ellon Mask and "Blue Origin" by Jeff Bezos etc. follow,Travel agency planned private private space tour for the first time and Japanese reservedThe news that it is transmitted, too.

Meanwhile, from China, the concept of a spacecraft that can mount the most passengers in the world, with 20 passengers on board at once, ascending to outer space and returning to the ground after zero gravity flight appeared doing. Although it is far larger than the capacity of the spacecraft which was at most eight people at most, it has become a situation where attention is gathered about its feasibility.

China plans world big big space space plan to to 20 tourists | New Scientist
https://www.newscientist.com/article/2107802-china-plans-worlds-biggest-spaceplane-to-carry-20-tourists/

It is the largest rocket maker in China that made this planChina Introduction Fire Engineering Research Institute(CALT) was held in Guadalajara, Mexico from 26th to 30th September 2016IAC - International Astronautical CongressIt was announced in.

According to the plan, the spacecraft has a winged fuselage as well as other concepts, and carries a passenger seat on the fuselage part and mounts a rocket engine at the rear of the aircraft. The length of the fuselage can be changed according to the required specifications and it is said that it can respond up to the capacity of up to 20 people as shown in the figure below. When the size of the aircraft is the smallest aircraft, the wing tip width is 6 meters and the weight is 10 tons. If it is the largest 20 seater, the wing tip width is 12 meters and the machine weight is expected to reach 100 tons.


At the time of launch, we did not use a separate booster or the like, but burned propellant liquid methane and oxidizer liquid oxygen in the aircraft's rocket engine to get all the thrust. The aircraft launched from the launch pad rose to an altitude of about 100 km at the maximum speed of Mach 6, and carried out a two-minute zero gravity flight. Then glide like a glider and land at the airport.


The above flight plan is for the smallest size aircraft, and when it reaches the maximum size the maximum speed reaches Mach 8, it will rise to 120 km altitude and it will be possible to do 4-minute weightless flight. When this level is reached, it will be possible to put the satellite on orbit around the earth, so we will also consider using it for space development. Also, the aircraft can be repeatedly used up to 50 times.

According to Han Pengxin, leader of the development team at the same hospital, "The test flight will be completed within two years, because almost all the ground tests have already been completed and the incidental subsystem also functions smoothly I am confident that "I am doing it." The plan states that it is expected to complete the flight in the state of the actual payload (loading capacity) by 2020 and to start a service that puts the actual passenger after safety is confirmed.

Attention has gathered to this plan, but some of them have skeptical viewpoints. Astronaut flight expert, the National Aeronautics and Space Museum of the USADr. Roger LauniusAbout this aircraft "InterestingInitiative"Although it says, it points out that there is a shortage in the technical details described in the 4-page material released by the same hospital.

Dr. Launius said: "The most mysterious part is the possibility that up to 20 passengers can be launched to a height of 100 km altitude, that the launch is done without using an auxiliary booster, and can be reused 50 times It is a point that it is not described how to realize this point.While it is thought that we can start the test flight within two years is also very noteworthy, " I am talking about our plans.

Also, Dr. Launius points out that accountability is in the same hospital. "In any age, it is easier to describe the possibilities by drawing a concept than to actually make a spaceship and actually fly," says a skeptical view.

Meanwhile, some people have a tolerant view. A member of a delegation who commented on the condition that there is no announcement of the name shows that "from the technical point of view, all the flight plans proposed by the Chinese team are proven." "However, whether to be able to carry out the plan safely or to carry out a continuing space travel business is another issue."

ByMark Belokopytov