Chiński pasażerski kosmoplan Cuantianhou

[ekoplaneta]

BREMEN, Germany — Beijing-based Space Transportation is projecting the second half of 2025 for a first test of its Cuantianhou near space reusable spaceplane prototype.

The company put a model of the Cuantianhou spaceplane on display at Space Tech Expo Europe here in Bremen. The prototype will have a length of 11.8 meters, a wingspan of 4.4 meters and a maximum takeoff weight of around 4,500 kilograms.

The spaceplane is designed for vertical takeoff, powered by a solid rocket booster, and will land vertically using active deceleration. Its cruising speed will be Mach 4 with a range of 3,000 kilometers, and can cruise at above an altitude of 20 kilometers. It will use a pair of rotating detonation engines.

Space Transportation aims to have a passenger craft ready by 2027, Fan Deng, general manager of Space Transportation, told SpaceNews. Cuantianhou will be capable of carrying two passengers, without need for pilots.

The ultimate goal is hypersonic point-to-point travel, for example taking passengers from Beijing to New York in around two hours. And for this, Cuantianhou is itself a stepping stone.

By 2031, according to the company’s roadmap, a larger spaceplane will be ready. It will be 30 meters long, weigh 70 tons, achieve speeds of Mach 5 and be capable of carrying 50 passengers. It will use turbine-based combined cycle engines.

Źródło: https://spacenews.com/space-transportation-of-china-aims-to-test-prototype-spaceplane-in-2025/?fbclid=IwY2xjawGshAxleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHTC5NLGhL69cEiXkrJAfz3SHFpwwO8WOpxinK-FYlJ_OVT1ApDpa2aUF7A_aem_6Hik_IRfOWrP8WuazQ7T7w