China plans world’s biggest spaceplane

Even China can’t resist the lure of space tourism. A state-backed firm is developing a gigantic spaceplane, New Scientist can reveal. The plane may one day fly up to 20 passengers to the edge of space – significantly more people than any other commercial spaceflight firm has pledged to fly to date.

The China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology in Beijing has designed a simple, one-piece spaceplane whose design can be scaled up to carry more people, academy rocket scientist Lui Haiquang told the International Astronautical Congress in Guadalajara, Mexico, last week.

Source

They designed two versions of this plane: A 10-tonne version that can fly five people and provide 2 minutes of weightlessness, and a 100-tone version that can fly 20 people and provide 4 minutes of weightlessness. Payload launches are expected for 2020, then when it's considered safe enough they will carry people.

Tickets are expected to cost between $200,000 and $250,000, quite high for a few minutes of weightlessness. For that kind of money you could buy a ticket to Mars as that's what Elon Musk wants tickets to cost, but there's no guarantee you'd make it there alive. Then again, the same could be said for a spaceplane Made in China!

I wonder what disasters await this project?

Use it once and the sticky tape holding the thing together will stop doing its job.

I expect some people will still claim Aliens.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978
They do seem overly confident when they say it can be reused 50 times.

Forgot to add a pic to the OP:

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

I wonder what disasters await this project?

The same disaster as Virgin Galactic. Because going to space isn't 'routine', its dangerous.

Vi rgin Galactic crash, images

a reply to: intrptr

Disasters follow Richad Branson around constantly, but yes, going into space isn't routine.

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Or maybe its an escape vehicle in case of asteroid impact. Fifty people at once? The richest fifty...

Like in When Worlds Colllide:

a reply to: intrptr

I want to watch this movie now. It was really funny watching it with no sound.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Or maybe its an escape vehicle in case of asteroid impact. Fifty people at once? The richest fifty...

Like in When Worlds Colllide:

Don't add that to the mix, ffs!!

a reply to: BlueShaman

For $4,950 + 5% tax you can fly on G-Force One and be weightless for 15 parabolic maneuvers at 20 to 30 sec each. $250,000 is a hefty price.Source

a reply to: Cobaltic1978

Don't add that to the mix, ffs!!

Can't ignore it. Every time they talk space stations, colonizing other planets or friggin fifty seat adventure rides, I think evacuation, preservation of species. Like they know something we don't.

Ever read, "Lucifers Hammer"? One part of the book is the astronauts 'space eye' view of the impactor, the aftermath and their eventual return to earth when things 'settle down'.

Is this going to be like their supercavitating submarine tech?
Will it scoop their recent successes in hypersonic flight they announced?



WHERE are Chinese black triangles anyway?

originally posted by: Cloudbuster
a reply to: intrptr

I want to watch this movie now. It was really funny watching it with no sound.

Corny, Fifties, Hollywood sci fi. Probably the birth of Niburu lore, imo.

Imo, worth a look.

originally posted by: cavtrooper7
Is this going to be like their supercavitating submarine tech?
Will it scoop their recent successes in hypersonic flight they announced?



WHERE are Chinese black triangles anyway?

We can suppose that the Chinese are patiently waiting until their spies and hackers can provide the triangle plans as they did for the F-22 and F-35.

I'll repeat my usual refrain: The incredible amount of talk about the virtually impossible concepts to move drastically into space and Mars--what happened with the Moon?--are merely a scramble by those that want to be chosen as the eventual handlers of the triangles once they get released into private industry.

The mastery of the triangles is the ace in the hole for the US. We are guarding that technology, development and organized operational activities until it will be impossible for competitions to ever be a threat to our machines and systems. It is all about world economics...or modern world warfare if you want to look at it that way.

a reply to: Aliensun

Hillary doesn't KNOW about those...OR Obama, I bet.

originally posted by: Aliensun
what happened with the Moon?

We are not welcome there.

But for free, over 7 billion people are already in space.

a reply to: savemebarry

You have a great point. 7 billions humans in space. I hope out planet does not lose gravity.