China Plans to Launch Space Solar Telescope

from: http://www.space.com

April 13

China Plans to Launch Space Solar Telescope

According to a report on the Xinhua news agency website, Chinese
scientists plan to launch China's first space solar telescope into
orbit sometime between 2006 and 2010.

According to Ai Guoxiang, head of the National Astronomical
Observatory and a member of Chinese Academy of Science, the telescope
would be attached to a space satellite and launched into orbit about
467 mile (750 km) above Earth.

Orbiting high above the atmosphere, the telescope would be free from
atmosphere disturbances and operate around the clock sending data back
to Earth, Guoxiang told the Shenzhen Daily

On 14 Apr 2004 11:11:57 -0700, (Steve Dufour)
wrote:

from: http://www.space.com

April 13

China Plans to Launch Space Solar Telescope

According to a report on the Xinhua news agency website, Chinese
scientists plan to launch China's first space solar telescope into
orbit sometime between 2006 and 2010.

According to Ai Guoxiang, head of the National Astronomical
Observatory and a member of Chinese Academy of Science, the telescope
would be attached to a space satellite and launched into orbit about
467 mile (750 km) above Earth.

Orbiting high above the atmosphere, the telescope would be free from
atmosphere disturbances and operate around the clock sending data back
to Earth, Guoxiang told the Shenzhen Daily


This seems to be part of a broad Chinese space program that includes a
Moon Mission and an eventual Mars Mission. I am not holding my breath
because it seems an overly ambitious effort although China had always
delivered on its grand schemes once they had been announced by the
Beijing leadership.

Somehow after watching years of fictional space exploration scenarios
on TV and on film I find there is little exciting to look forward to
on the subject, the spectacular payback from Hubble notwithstanding.
But if that is what big nations want to do, and if they have the money
and technology to do it, by all means go for it.

I do have one wishful mission though. NASA has abandoned the Hubble
Space Telescope once it runs out of fuel. China should consider
designing an orbital mission to maintain and extend the life of
Hubble. If feasible China can then offer to buy over Hubble and use
it as part of its space exploration. Now this is one exciting space
mission.

KLM wrote:

I do have one wishful mission though. NASA has abandoned the Hubble
Space Telescope once it runs out of fuel.

Since Hubble has never had a gram of fuel onboard, ever, NASA must
have abandoned Hubble years ago.

D.
--
Touch-twice life. Eat. Drink. Laugh.

Somehow after watching years of fictional space exploration scenarios
on TV and on film I find there is little exciting to look forward to
on the subject, the spectacular payback from Hubble notwithstanding.
But if that is what big nations want to do, and if they have the money
and technology to do it, by all means go for it.

I do have one wishful mission though. NASA has abandoned the Hubble
Space Telescope once it runs out of fuel. China should consider
designing an orbital mission to maintain and extend the life of
Hubble. If feasible China can then offer to buy over Hubble and use
it as part of its space exploration. Now this is one exciting space
mission.

Hubble can only be save by the shuttle. The 6 gyroscopes has to be
replaced and only the shuttle with the robotic arm and astronouts
space walking can fixed it. As the shuttle is unrelaiable, it is
considered to dangerous to justify a mission to save the hubble. Thus,
by 2006, it will have to be deobited and crashed into the sea.

On 14 Apr 2004 21:56:02 -0700, (TheMiddlePath)
wrote:



Hubble can only be save by the shuttle. The 6 gyroscopes has to be
replaced and only the shuttle with the robotic arm and astronouts
space walking can fixed it. As the shuttle is unrelaiable, it is
considered to dangerous to justify a mission to save the hubble. Thus,
by 2006, it will have to be deobited and crashed into the sea.


I was aware of the gyroscope thingy but didn't know the details on why
a regular Shuttle maintenance mission is required. Gyroscopes have to
keep spinning, therefore need some energy source (fuel?) The
gyroscopes are used to orientate the telescope to point towards
specific positions in space and maintain station, energy required
again. When Hubble has exhausted its current energy source it uses
an on board means to decellerate it so that it will fall out of orbit
into a safe uninhabited area. Energy required again.

The Chinese Space Program will be sending out Taikonauts on orbital
training missions. Would it not be possible to consider if it would
be safe and feasible to rendevous with Hubble on one mission and then
see if they can fix it on the next mission. At least this is a
tangible and bonus goal instead of just going into orbit and coming
back.

I was aware of the gyroscope thingy but didn't know the details on why
a regular Shuttle maintenance mission is required. Gyroscopes have to
keep spinning, therefore need some energy source (fuel?) The
gyroscopes are used to orientate the telescope to point towards
specific positions in space and maintain station, energy required
again. When Hubble has exhausted its current energy source it uses
an on board means to decellerate it so that it will fall out of orbit
into a safe uninhabited area. Energy required again.

The Chinese Space Program will be sending out Taikonauts on orbital
training missions. Would it not be possible to consider if it would
be safe and feasible to rendevous with Hubble on one mission and then
see if they can fix it on the next mission. At least this is a
tangible and bonus goal instead of just going into orbit and coming
back.

I'd guess that it uses solar power. Your idea sounds like a good one
if they an get there in time.

Plannin' an awful lot, aren't they?


--
__ "A good leader knows when it's best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture." '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

Gyroscopes have to
keep spinning, therefore need some energy source (fuel?)


That would be electricity--the one stuff there is plenty of up there,
provided you bring along a couple of photovoltaic cells.

Fuel is needed for propellant, in case you need to actually *go*
somewhere, rather than just spin around your center of gravity.

Gyros don't lose mass and could theoretically last forever if they
didn't succumb to material fatigue eventually because of the high
g-force strain.

That's also why no one can tell you exactly when Hubble is going to
give up the ghost.



--
__ "A good leader knows when it's best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture." '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

Gyros don't lose mass and could theoretically last forever if they
didn't succumb to material fatigue eventually because of the high
g-force strain.


Actually I was thinking of the reaction wheels when I said "gyros,"
but it goes for both...

http://www.thetech.org/exhibits_even.../whichway.html



--
__ "A good leader knows when it's best to ignore the __
('__` screams for help and focus on the bigger picture." '__`)
//6(6; ©OOL mmiv :^)^\\
`\_-/ http://home.t-online.de/home/ulrich....lmann/redbaron \-_/'

KLM wrote in
:

I was aware of the gyroscope thingy but didn't know the details on why
a regular Shuttle maintenance mission is required. Gyroscopes have to
keep spinning, therefore need some energy source (fuel?)

Electricity from the solar panels.

The
gyroscopes are used to orientate the telescope to point towards
specific positions in space and maintain station, energy required
again.

Actually, no. HST uses reaction wheels and magnetic torquers to point
itself in space. The gyros are rate *sensors*, and are needed only for HST
to have enough pointing accuracy to do useful science. HST has a safe-mode
called "zero-gyro sun-point" that it can use to keep its solar arrays
pointed at the sun even with no active gyros, though the accuracy is rather
coarse.

When Hubble has exhausted its current energy source it uses
an on board means to decellerate it so that it will fall out of orbit
into a safe uninhabited area. Energy required again.

HST has no onboard means to decelerate it. An external retro module would
need to be attached to provide a safe and controlled deorbit.

--
JRF

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