A new type carrier rocket project, listed as a high-tech priority
in Premier Zhu Rongji's report on the 10th Five-Year Plan (2001-05),
seems to have won approval from national legislators and experts.
Deputies at the
ongoing National People's Congress (NPC) and industrial executives
contacted by China Daily yesterday said the project will boost
China's overall national strength and economic expansion,
and help its aerospace plans.
For the first time,
new type carrier rockets found their way into a draft five-year
plan, which is usually delivered by the State Council premier
to the NPC for discussion.
Embracing Premier
Zhu's report, Shen Xinsun, a member of the Ninth NPC Standing
Committee, said China needed to upgrade its launch rockets
to meet ever-increasing demands for future spacecraft launches,
including for space stations and satellites.
The country wants
manned space flights and aims to develop space science and
explore outer space in the first decade of the 21st century,
according to the "China's Space Activities," a policy
document issued by the Information Office of the State Council
last November.
Shen, also vice-chairman
of the Science and Technology Commission of the China Aerospace
Science and Technology Corp (CASC), said development of the
new generation of rockets will narrow the gap between China
and more advanced countries, and help the country develop
on key high-tech fronts.
China has independently
developed the "Long March" rocket group, which contains
12 types of launch vehicles capable of launching satellites
into near-earth, geo-stationary and solar-synchronous orbits,
according to Wang Liheng, a member of the Ninth National Committee
of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference,
which concluded its session yesterday in Beijing.
The largest launch
capacity for the "Long March" rockets is 9.2 tons
for near-earth orbits and 5.1 tons for geo-stationary transfer
orbits, said Wang, who is also CASC president.
"Right now
they are able to basically meet the demands of customers,"
said Shen. "But with the development of China's economy
and the world's commercial launch market, we need carrier
rockets with non-toxic, non-polluting, high-performance and
low-cost qualities."
"Now China
has a matured technology to develop propellants made from
liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen and refined kerosene, which
produces powerful propulsion and leaves no pollution or poison,"
said Li Fuchang, another rocket expert and vice-chairman of
the Science and Technology Commission of the Chinese Academy
of Launch Vehicle Technology.
Li said the new
generation of launch vehicles will inherit the expertise and
experience of the Long March series, but the near-earth-orbit
launch capacity will range between 1.5 tons to 25 tons and
the high-orbit capacity will range from 1.5 tons to 14 tons.
As to the technological
viability of the new type rockets, both Shen and Li revealed
that related research and development was begun several years
ago, and China has made "breakthroughs in key areas."
Both declined to
elaborate on what these were.
Liu Youguang, director
of the Space Division under the China Great Wall Industrial
Corp - the country's only company authorized to provide international
launch services - yesterday said the development of new generation
of launch vehicles will help sharpen the company's competitive
edge on the global market.
Following a major
setback in February 1996 with the failure of the maiden flight
of its Long March 3B, the Great Wall Company has impressed
the world by orchestrating 23 consecutive successful launches
from October 1996. In the past decade, it has sent into orbit
27 foreign-made satellites, including ones from the United
States, France and Brazil, according to Liu.
For Wu Kuiguang,
an NPC deputy from southern Hainan Province, the news that
the development of new-types of rockets is included in the
country's new economic blueprint has a more practical dimension.
It indicates China
will actively participate in the exploration and peaceful
utilization of space, said the deputy.
Wu said he had
submitted a proposal suggesting building a space launch site
for international commercial launches in Hainan.
Compared with China's
existing three launch sites in Jiuquan, Xichang and Taiyuan
in western and northern landlocked regions, the proposed launch
center in Hainan has the lowest latitude and is the nearest
to the equator - the most desired factors leading to efficient
launches, according to Wu.
Furthermore, Hainan,
as an island province, has the advantage of sea transport
links. This compares favorably to the railway transport used
to service the current three interior launch bases, said Wu.
"The country's
decision to support the development of new carrier rockets
has increased Hainan's chances of getting its launch center
project approved," said Wu.
(China Daily 03/13/2001)
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