A new type of space cargo transport aircraft is under development and will complete its maiden flight in 2019, a space engineering company based in central China's Wuhan said Thursday.

The aircraft is being developed using technology such as space inflatable deployment, flexible heat shielding and composite materials, enabling it to have a high bearing ratio at a low cost, said Lyu Dongming, board chairman of the Space Engineering Development Co. Ltd. under China Aerospace Science and Industry Corp. Ltd.

New types of composite material cabins, and new types of environmental control and life support technology will be applied to achieve products that offer support for missions such as return transport of space cargo, and delivery and recovery of goods.

In the mid and long term, the aircraft will be actively involved in manned lunar exploration, Lyu said.

The Space Engineering Development Co. Ltd., which was established on Thursday, has a complete research and development capacity for the design of satellites, with its main focus on mini satellites and other commercial space programs.

Source: Xinhua News

Related Links
China National Space Administration
The Chinese Space Program - News, Policy and Technology
China News from SinoDaily.com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

China unveils underwater astronaut training suit
Beijing (XNA) Apr 23, 2018
A domestically designed underwater training suit for China's astronauts was shown to the press in Beijing Friday. The Astronaut Center of China (ACC) unveiled the suit during a summit on aerospace medical engineering. The ACC has been working on the suit since 2014. The suit is used underwater in simulated weightlessness as part of extra-vehicular training. China plans to start assembling its space station in space in 2020. It is scheduled to become fully operational around 2022. ... read more