The new Haolong transporter will be the first reusable vehicle since NASA’s space shuttle, but it is designed exclusively for cargo, with no crew-carrying capability.
To China approved the development of a new space shuttle more than a decade after the United States ended its own program. The reusable spaceship Haolong It will be unmanned and aims to reduce the cost of transporting cargo to and from the Chinese Tiangong space station, as well as improving efficiency.
Lin Xiqiang, deputy director of the China Manned Space Agencystated that the agency has been looking for low-cost alternatives to supply Tiangong, and the Haolong was one of two selected to undergo engineering flight verification. The other ship, however, will not be reusable.
“To further lower the cost of uplink cargo transportation to the Chinese space station, increase flexibility in cargo transportation, and explore the development of commercial models in space, last year we issued a statement requesting a design for cargo transportation systems. low-cost payload for the space station,” Lin explained during a press conference before the launch of the mission Shenzhou-19 to the space station.
The Haolong cargo space shuttle was developed by the Chengdu Aircraft Design Institutea subsidiary of Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC).
This is a winged, reusable commercial space vehicle designed to be launched by a carrier rocket and capable of docking with the Tiangong space station. After reentry, the space shuttle will be able to land horizontally on an airport runway.
The design includes a wide wingspan and a high aspect ratio lift-dragwhich could allow the space shuttle to carry large-volume payloads, according to a post on one of AVIC’s official social platforms.
With information from the South China Morning Post*
Source: https://www.ocafezinho.com/2024/10/30/china-quer-trazer-onibus-espacial-de-volta-a-vida/
