Space travel at a whole new level – China reportedly developing a new “spaceplane” that will fly at hypersonic speed into space and back – TheLiberal.ie – Our News, Your Views

Space travel at a whole new level – China reportedly developing a new “spaceplane” that will fly at hypersonic speed into space and back




China is planning to take space exploration to a new level, as it develops a new “spaceplane” that could take off from a runway and fly at hypersonic speed before blasting into space and back.

The China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CATSC) is behind the project of a plane/spacecraft hybrid that will travel back and forth between the runway and space orbit at hypersonic speeds, Popular Science reported.

Development and testing is scheduled for the next three to five years. The first deployment date is estimated for 2030.

Reports in Asia say the spaceplane will be equipped with a cycle engine. It will have a turbofan or turbojet engine as well as a ramjet engine that will allow the plane to horizontally takeoff from the runway and fly through the atmosphere.

Following acceleration to supersonic speeds, the spacecraft would then switch to a scramjet engine, helping it get through the so-called “near space” portion of the atmosphere.

After entering space, the spaceplane will employ onboard rocket motors. It is also thought the spacecraft will also be reusable, lowering China’s space traveling costs.

CASTC engineer Yang Yang said that the new spacecraft could be used for space tourism, China state television broadcaster CCTV reported.

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