China says it will launch reusable spacecraft as soon as 2027
- It will have capacity for seven astronauts, according to deputy chief engineering designer of manned space programme
- The spacecraft will ‘play a critical role in future construction of China’s space station and moon landing mission’, he says
Yang Liwei, who was the first Chinese sent into space, also told Guangzhou Daily on Monday that the new spacecraft would be able to transport seven astronauts.
“It will also play a critical role in future construction of China’s space station and moon landing mission,” Yang was quoted as saying.
02:22
China’s Shenzhou 16 mission sends its first civilian astronaut into space
According to the China Manned Space Engineering Office, the spacecraft will be reusable for both near-Earth orbit and deep-space exploration missions.
A full-size prototype successfully completed a 67-hour test flight, carried by a Long March 5 rocket, in 2020.
It uses new materials and structures that take its heat resistance to three to four times that of China’s Shenzhou spacecrafts.
The materials can withstand temperatures as high as 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit during re-entry, while the weight of the heat-resistant structure has been reduced by more than 30 per cent.
The spacecraft has also been designed to be reused – the return capsule will be ready for the next mission once it is examined and its “coating” replaced. That means – theoretically at least – key parts of the spacecraft can be reused up to 10 times, significantly reducing launch costs.