21-12-2023, 02:32 PM
21-12-2023, 02:36 PM
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/ch...s-in-orbit
Spaceplane itself is launched atop a traditional space launch rocket and is propelled into orbit using a secondary booster. It returns to Earth in an unpowered mode, much like the X-37B.
One amateur astronomer, Scott Tilley, told Space.com’s Brett Tingley that some of the objects — which have been named A, B, C, D, E, and F — seem to be transmitting signals. Tilley has described these objects as “mysterious wingmen,” a nod to the “loyal wingman” terminology used for the drones that operate collaboratively with piloted aircraft. The Shenlong, of course, is uncrewed.
Tilley also provided Space.com with details on the differences in transmissions between the objects, with Object A said to be sending small amounts of data, while Objects D and E seem to be only emitting “placeholder” signals, without accompanying data.
Spaceplane itself is launched atop a traditional space launch rocket and is propelled into orbit using a secondary booster. It returns to Earth in an unpowered mode, much like the X-37B.
One amateur astronomer, Scott Tilley, told Space.com’s Brett Tingley that some of the objects — which have been named A, B, C, D, E, and F — seem to be transmitting signals. Tilley has described these objects as “mysterious wingmen,” a nod to the “loyal wingman” terminology used for the drones that operate collaboratively with piloted aircraft. The Shenlong, of course, is uncrewed.
Tilley also provided Space.com with details on the differences in transmissions between the objects, with Object A said to be sending small amounts of data, while Objects D and E seem to be only emitting “placeholder” signals, without accompanying data.
21-12-2023, 02:38 PM
testing 7G ... space drones lah
21-12-2023, 02:39 PM
Extensive signal analysis by various satellite trackers indicates that the transmissions come either from the objects or from something else very close to them: There is no obvious sign of any other object that might have been responsible for them. The transmissions also correlate with the expected paths of the different objects and also conform to the kinds of signals previously emitted by Chinese spaceplane missions, with the same unique frequency.
There are also signs that there could be more intriguing transmissions to come. As Tilley explained, the fact that the objects are on different orbits, ranging from almost circular to broadly elliptical, means they will move closer to one another, with the potential for transmissions or other interactions between them.
There are also signs that there could be more intriguing transmissions to come. As Tilley explained, the fact that the objects are on different orbits, ranging from almost circular to broadly elliptical, means they will move closer to one another, with the potential for transmissions or other interactions between them.
21-12-2023, 02:41 PM
Chinese spaceplane can deploy payloads into space is no secret, with previous missions having involved the release of at least one small object each. At the time of the Shenlong’s second mission, in late 2022, SpaceNews speculated that those objects could be small satellites for monitoring the spaceplane, or some kind of test payload, perhaps to gain more experience in launching items from the spaceplane. It's very possible that the craft has reached a point of maturity where more ambitious experiments are being fielded by it. For instance, satellites capable of on-orbit manipulation and disrupting, degrading, destroying, and surveilling other satellites is a major area of development as space increasingly becomes a contested environment.
While details about the design of the spacecraft itself, and its particular technologies, are almost entirely absent, it’s notable that putting small payloads into orbit now seems to be a significant part of its repertoire.
Publicly, at least, China has claimed that its spaceplane is for commercial use. However, it has very obvious military applications, especially as a convenient and potentially efficient way to get into orbit and stay there for extended periods.
While details about the design of the spacecraft itself, and its particular technologies, are almost entirely absent, it’s notable that putting small payloads into orbit now seems to be a significant part of its repertoire.
Publicly, at least, China has claimed that its spaceplane is for commercial use. However, it has very obvious military applications, especially as a convenient and potentially efficient way to get into orbit and stay there for extended periods.
21-12-2023, 03:29 PM
China’s shadowy miniature spaceplane appears to have deployed at least six objects into orbit while conducting its latest mission, its third. The reusable space vehicle, which is understood to be broadly comparable to U.S. Space Force’s X-37B, clearly has military applications, the exact nature of its payloads remains mysterious.
Chinese spaceplane, named Shenlong (meaning Divine Dragon), has placed objects in Earth orbit since it was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on December 14.
The spaceplane itself is launched atop a traditional space launch rocket and is propelled into orbit using a secondary booster. It returns to Earth in an unpowered mode, much like X-37B.
One amateur astronomer, Scott Tilley, told Space.com’s Brett Tingley that some of the objects — which have been named A, B, C, D, E, and F — seem to be transmitting signals. Tilley has described these objects as “mysterious wingmen,” a nod to the “loyal wingman” terminology used for drones that operate collaboratively with piloted aircraft. The Shenlong, of course, is uncrewed.
Tilley also provided Space.com with details on differences in transmissions between objects, with Object A said to be sending small amounts of data, while Objects D and E seem to be only emitting “placeholder” signals, without accompanying data.
“It should be noted that unlike emissions early in Chinese spaceplane missions 1 and 2, these emissions are very intermittent and do not stay on long,” Tilley told Space.com. “It’s taken days of observations tracking pass after pass with dish antennas to come up with this data.”
While we cannot be entirely sure that these mysterious signals come from objects released by Shenlong, the evidence is compelling.
Extensive signal analysis by various satellite trackers indicates that transmissions come either from objects or from something else very close to them: There is no obvious sign of any other object that might have been responsible for them. Transmissions also correlate with the expected paths of the different objects and also conform to the kinds of signals previously emitted by Chinese spaceplane missions, with the same unique frequency.
There are also signs that there could be more intriguing transmissions to come. As Tilley explained, fact that objects are on different orbits, ranging from almost circular to broadly elliptical, means they will move closer to one another, with the potential for transmissions or other interactions between them.
The Chinese spaceplane can deploy payloads into space is no secret, with previous missions having involved the release of at least one small object each. At time Shenlong’s second mission, in late 2022, SpaceNews speculated that those objects could be small satellites for monitoring the spaceplane, or some kind of test payload, perhaps to gain more experience in launching items from the spaceplane. It's very possible that the craft has reached a point of maturity where more ambitious experiments are being fielded by it. For instance, satellites capable of on-orbit manipulation and disrupting, degrading, destroying, and surveilling other satellites is a major area development as space increasingly becomes a contested environment.
While details about design of spacecraft itself, and its particular technologies, are almost entirely absent, it’s notable that putting small payloads into orbit now seems to be a significant part of its repertoire.
Publicly, at least, China claimed its spaceplane is for commercial use. However, it very obvious is military applications, especially as a convenient and potentially efficient way to get into orbit and stay there for extended periods.
A graphic from around 2016 shows the method of operation of a Chinese spaceplane concept. HAN PENGXIN / CHINA ACADEMY OF LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
After all, when it comes to putting payloads into space, a spaceplane offers several advantages, being faster, more flexible, and less predictable than a conventional rocket launch, for example.
Payload delivery is important part of X-37B’s role, too, U.S. spaceplane now being equipped with a service module, an additional payload package that increases the number of missions that the vehicle can undertake. Details of most of what the service module contains remain classified. The X-37B orbital test vehicle ahead of its sixth mission, with the service module attached to its rear portion. U.S. Space Force
Ultimately, Shenlong not only be able to place objects in orbit but also retrieve and perhaps even manipulate them. Such capability would allow China to keep intelligence-gathering satellite, eg: in orbit for a long period before recovering it, then bringing it back to Earth for further analysis potential reuse. Fact spaceplanes are capable of dynamically maneuvering in orbit makes them especially suitable for these kinds of experiments — or even for interfering with space objects belonging to other nations.
The U.S. Space Force is already highly attuned to concept of “orbital warfare,” both in terms of its own mission spectrum and of potential hostile actors, where China is a significant player.
Back in 2021. U.S. Space Force confirmed China (as well as Russia) was already launching “reversible attacks,” such as electronic warfare jamming, temporarily blinding optics with lasers, and cyber-attacks, on U.S. satellites “every single day.” As discussed earlier, spaceplane would be especially suitable candidate to expand these types of missions, there is possibility that objects released by Shenlong could even be related to exploring these capabilities.
Defense Intelligence Agency infographic shows many ways satellite might attack another. Similar kinds of technologies could potentially be employed by a Chinese spaceplane.
Potential of Chinese spaceplane extends beyond inserting certain payloads into orbit. Shenlong or a similar vehicle, could be valuable intelligence-gathering asset, a larger development of same concept could potentially even be used to transport cargo or personnel over huge distances at remarkable speeds. A concept that has been explored by U.S. military, too.
There’s intriguing nature of possible relationship between Shenlong’s recent launch and planned seventh mission for the X-37B. The X-37B was set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Dec-7@Kennedy Space Station, Florida, mission has been repeatedly delayed recently scrubbed on Dec-13. Now planned to launch no earlier on Dec-28, first launch using such powerful rocket and it should see vehicle inserted in a far higher orbit than before.
However, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told reporters at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference earlier this month that China launching the Shenlong at around the same time as the X-37B was scheduled to go into space was “probably no coincidence.”
“It’s no surprise that the Chinese are extremely interested in our space plane. We’re extremely interested in theirs,” Saltzman said. “Because it is a capability; the ability to put something in orbit, do some things, and bring it home and take a look at the results is powerful. And so these are two of the most watched objects in orbit while they’re in orbit. It’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to match us in timing and sequence of this.”
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. U.S. Air Force
The shadowy nature of the Chinese spaceplane program means that it’s unlikely we’ll get official word on exactly what kinds of objects the Shenlong has been releasing, and to what ends. For now, we may have to rely on amateur astronomers, like Scott Tilley, to gradually uncover more details of what the Shenlong is up to. Whatever the details of its latest mission, it’s another clear sign of the rapid advances that China — and its military — is making in the space realm.
Chinese spaceplane, named Shenlong (meaning Divine Dragon), has placed objects in Earth orbit since it was launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center on December 14.
The spaceplane itself is launched atop a traditional space launch rocket and is propelled into orbit using a secondary booster. It returns to Earth in an unpowered mode, much like X-37B.
One amateur astronomer, Scott Tilley, told Space.com’s Brett Tingley that some of the objects — which have been named A, B, C, D, E, and F — seem to be transmitting signals. Tilley has described these objects as “mysterious wingmen,” a nod to the “loyal wingman” terminology used for drones that operate collaboratively with piloted aircraft. The Shenlong, of course, is uncrewed.
Tilley also provided Space.com with details on differences in transmissions between objects, with Object A said to be sending small amounts of data, while Objects D and E seem to be only emitting “placeholder” signals, without accompanying data.
“It should be noted that unlike emissions early in Chinese spaceplane missions 1 and 2, these emissions are very intermittent and do not stay on long,” Tilley told Space.com. “It’s taken days of observations tracking pass after pass with dish antennas to come up with this data.”
While we cannot be entirely sure that these mysterious signals come from objects released by Shenlong, the evidence is compelling.
Extensive signal analysis by various satellite trackers indicates that transmissions come either from objects or from something else very close to them: There is no obvious sign of any other object that might have been responsible for them. Transmissions also correlate with the expected paths of the different objects and also conform to the kinds of signals previously emitted by Chinese spaceplane missions, with the same unique frequency.
There are also signs that there could be more intriguing transmissions to come. As Tilley explained, fact that objects are on different orbits, ranging from almost circular to broadly elliptical, means they will move closer to one another, with the potential for transmissions or other interactions between them.
The Chinese spaceplane can deploy payloads into space is no secret, with previous missions having involved the release of at least one small object each. At time Shenlong’s second mission, in late 2022, SpaceNews speculated that those objects could be small satellites for monitoring the spaceplane, or some kind of test payload, perhaps to gain more experience in launching items from the spaceplane. It's very possible that the craft has reached a point of maturity where more ambitious experiments are being fielded by it. For instance, satellites capable of on-orbit manipulation and disrupting, degrading, destroying, and surveilling other satellites is a major area development as space increasingly becomes a contested environment.
While details about design of spacecraft itself, and its particular technologies, are almost entirely absent, it’s notable that putting small payloads into orbit now seems to be a significant part of its repertoire.
Publicly, at least, China claimed its spaceplane is for commercial use. However, it very obvious is military applications, especially as a convenient and potentially efficient way to get into orbit and stay there for extended periods.
A graphic from around 2016 shows the method of operation of a Chinese spaceplane concept. HAN PENGXIN / CHINA ACADEMY OF LAUNCH VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY
After all, when it comes to putting payloads into space, a spaceplane offers several advantages, being faster, more flexible, and less predictable than a conventional rocket launch, for example.
Payload delivery is important part of X-37B’s role, too, U.S. spaceplane now being equipped with a service module, an additional payload package that increases the number of missions that the vehicle can undertake. Details of most of what the service module contains remain classified. The X-37B orbital test vehicle ahead of its sixth mission, with the service module attached to its rear portion. U.S. Space Force
Ultimately, Shenlong not only be able to place objects in orbit but also retrieve and perhaps even manipulate them. Such capability would allow China to keep intelligence-gathering satellite, eg: in orbit for a long period before recovering it, then bringing it back to Earth for further analysis potential reuse. Fact spaceplanes are capable of dynamically maneuvering in orbit makes them especially suitable for these kinds of experiments — or even for interfering with space objects belonging to other nations.
The U.S. Space Force is already highly attuned to concept of “orbital warfare,” both in terms of its own mission spectrum and of potential hostile actors, where China is a significant player.
Back in 2021. U.S. Space Force confirmed China (as well as Russia) was already launching “reversible attacks,” such as electronic warfare jamming, temporarily blinding optics with lasers, and cyber-attacks, on U.S. satellites “every single day.” As discussed earlier, spaceplane would be especially suitable candidate to expand these types of missions, there is possibility that objects released by Shenlong could even be related to exploring these capabilities.
Defense Intelligence Agency infographic shows many ways satellite might attack another. Similar kinds of technologies could potentially be employed by a Chinese spaceplane.
Potential of Chinese spaceplane extends beyond inserting certain payloads into orbit. Shenlong or a similar vehicle, could be valuable intelligence-gathering asset, a larger development of same concept could potentially even be used to transport cargo or personnel over huge distances at remarkable speeds. A concept that has been explored by U.S. military, too.
There’s intriguing nature of possible relationship between Shenlong’s recent launch and planned seventh mission for the X-37B. The X-37B was set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket on Dec-7@Kennedy Space Station, Florida, mission has been repeatedly delayed recently scrubbed on Dec-13. Now planned to launch no earlier on Dec-28, first launch using such powerful rocket and it should see vehicle inserted in a far higher orbit than before.
However, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman told reporters at the Space Force Association’s Spacepower Conference earlier this month that China launching the Shenlong at around the same time as the X-37B was scheduled to go into space was “probably no coincidence.”
“It’s no surprise that the Chinese are extremely interested in our space plane. We’re extremely interested in theirs,” Saltzman said. “Because it is a capability; the ability to put something in orbit, do some things, and bring it home and take a look at the results is powerful. And so these are two of the most watched objects in orbit while they’re in orbit. It’s probably no coincidence that they’re trying to match us in timing and sequence of this.”
Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman, the senior uniformed officer heading the Space Force. U.S. Air Force
The shadowy nature of the Chinese spaceplane program means that it’s unlikely we’ll get official word on exactly what kinds of objects the Shenlong has been releasing, and to what ends. For now, we may have to rely on amateur astronomers, like Scott Tilley, to gradually uncover more details of what the Shenlong is up to. Whatever the details of its latest mission, it’s another clear sign of the rapid advances that China — and its military — is making in the space realm.
21-12-2023, 03:34 PM
AirX’s Airfish WIG craft, which has been studied by the US Marine Corps in recent years, has been positioned to support a variety of missions in the littorals.
AirX, a joint venture between Singapore-based ST Engineering and Wigetworks, has been developing the Airfish 8 wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft with military applications in mind.
Potential missions the craft could support include amphibious operations, the insertion of special forces operators and sensor payload deployments.
WIG craft, like the Airfish 8, utilise air pressure generated between it and the water surface to fly in a pocket of air above the water, thereby avoiding rough sea states or obstacles.
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval...wig-craft/
AirX, a joint venture between Singapore-based ST Engineering and Wigetworks, has been developing the Airfish 8 wing-in-ground (WIG) effect craft with military applications in mind.
Potential missions the craft could support include amphibious operations, the insertion of special forces operators and sensor payload deployments.
WIG craft, like the Airfish 8, utilise air pressure generated between it and the water surface to fly in a pocket of air above the water, thereby avoiding rough sea states or obstacles.
https://www.shephardmedia.com/news/naval...wig-craft/