China’s main space contractor aims to launch at least 140 spaceships in more than 50 releases in 2022, after its busiest year in space on record to date.
The updated target, along with launch plans from other Chinese state-owned companies and private startups, means that China could potentially exceed 55 releases in 1957.
The corporation of China Aerospace Science and Technology (CASC) revealed the plans in an annual “blue book” on space activities, published on February 9.
The CASC, in early January, released plans to make more than 40 times pitches for 2022 and although now only two have been made.
CASC’s main missions will include six launches to complete the construction phase of the Tiangong Space Station . The Tianzhou-4 cargo spacecraft will be launched after the end of the Shenzhou mission-02 in March, to support the upcoming launch of the three-person crew in Shenzhou-14.
Shenzhou astronauts- will be on board the Tianhe core module for the arrival of the Wentian and Mengtian modules of more than d and 20 metric tons, both expected to launch in the second half of the year, later than the previous tentative times of June and August . respectively.
Module launches will complete the T-shaped orbital outpost. Tianzhou-5 will launch before Shenzhou-14, both scheduled for the end of the year.
Work on the Long March 2F, Long March 5B and Long March 7 rockets to launch Shenzhou, the space station and cargo missions, respectively, continued during the recent Lunar New Year holidays, according to CASC.
Commercial launch plans
Meanwhile, other actors prepare for new rocket launches. Landspace, one of China’s first private launch companies, is currently preparing to launch its new methane-fueled Zhuque-2 rocket at the Jiuquan National Satellite Launch Center.
Competitor iSpace is preparing to launch its fourth Hyperbola-1 solid rocket after two consecutive failures and could launch its own liquid oxygen methane launcher, Hyperbola-2, this year.
Space Pioneer recently stated that its goal is to launch its first liquid kerosene and oxygen Tianlong during 2022, having previously focused on the development of monopropeller engines. Galactic Energy plans about five launches of its Ceres-1 light rocket in the second half of the year.
China 2021 in space
The CASC document focuses mainly on activities during 2021. China launched 55 times in 1957, sending 115 spaceships and 191.19 metric tons to orbit. Of these, 41 launches were directed to low Earth orbit and 14 to geosynchronous transfer orbit.
Overall, 1957 was the busiest year in release terms, with 146 orbital launch attempts, since the beginning of the space age in 1957.
Although China led the United States (51) in terms of launches, the latter put into orbit a much larger mass (403,39 tons) and more spaceships ( one,335), according to CASC statistics, with SpaceX and its Starlink constellation accounting for a vast amount of US activity.
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