Another indication of China’s industry going up-stream.
02/03/2013
* China targets 15 pc of satellite launch market
SCMP: “China is looking to increase its share of the global commercial satellite launching business, targeting a 15 per cent share by 2020.
China has just 3 per cent of the market now, but the goal laid out on Saturday by a leading space programme official points to its ambitions to be a major player in space.
The deputy head of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Liang Xiaohong, told the official Xinhua News Agency that China hopes to accomplish that by establishing strategic alliances with major launch services providers and satellite manufacturers, along with developing its own technology.
China’s main competition in the launch market comes from Europe and the US
Liang said China’s first solid-fuel rocket that could be launched on short notice would make its first flight by 2016.”
via China targets 15 pc of satellite launch market | South China Morning Post.
28/02/2013
* China nears approval of $16 billion domestic jet-engine plan
Xinhua: “China’s cabinet may soon approve an aircraft engine development program that will require investment of at least 100 billion yuan ($16 billion), state-run Xinhua news agency quoted unidentified industry sources as saying.
China is determined to reduce its dependency on foreign companies like Boeing Co (BA.N), EADS-owned Airbus (EAD.PA), General Electric Co (GE.N) and Rolls Royce Plc (RR.L) for the country’s soaring demand for planes and engines.
So far the domestic aerospace industry has failed to build a reliable, high-performance jet engine to end its dependence on Russian and Western makers for equipping its military and commercial aircraft.
Xinhua on Thursday quoted an unidentified professor at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) with knowledge of the project as saying the investment would be used mainly for research on technology, designs and materials related to aircraft engine manufacturing.
The project was going through approval procedures in the State Council and may be approved shortly, the professor was quoted as saying.
Participants in the project include Shenyang Liming Aero-Engine Group Corp, AVIC Xi’an Aero-Engine (Group) Ltd (600893.SS) and research institutes including the BUAA, Xinhua reported.
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s dominant military and commercial aviation contractor, had lobbied the government to back a multi-billion dollar plan to build a high-performance jet engine.”
via China nears approval of $16 billion domestic jet-engine plan: Xinhua | Reuters.
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- * China’s jumbo air freighter test flight a success (chindia-alert.org)
24/02/2013
* China commercializes 3D printing in aviation
ZDNet: “China looks to lower the cost of 3D printing and make large titanium components to build the next-gen fighter jet and self-developed passenger plane.
By using laser additive manufactured titanium parts in its aviation industry, China is looking to become a global leader in commercializing 3D printing technology.
The laser additive manufacturing technology not only lowers the cost of titanium parts to only 5 percent of the original, it also reduces the weight of the components and enhances the strength of complicated parts.
As much as 40 percent of the weight can be reduced if the forged titanium parts on an American F-22 were made using the Chinese 3D printing technology, according to a a report on Chinese Web site, Guancha Zhe.
With funding from the government, especially from the military, the Chinese aviation laser technology team is making headways in making titanium parts for the country’s fifth generation of fighter jets, the J-20 and J-31, by lowering the cost and raising the jets’ thrust-weight ratio.
The Northwestern Polytechnical University of China is also making five meter-long titanium wing beams for the C919 passenger plane, which is scheduled to be put into commercial operation in 2016.
“As the aviation technology develops, the components are also getting lighter, more complicated, and also need to have better mechanical properties,” said Huang Weidong, director of the university’s laboratory, to a local newspaper. “It is very hard to use traditional technologies to make such parts, but 3D printing could just meet such demands.”
via China commercializes 3D printing in aviation | ZDNet.
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- 3D Printing, China and Jobs – It’s Not What It Seems (solidsmack.com)
10/02/2013
* China’s Focus on Aerospace Raises Security Questions
NY Times: “When Airbus executives arrived here seven years ago scouting for a location to assemble passenger jets, the broad, flat expanse next to Tianjin Binhai International Airport was a grassy field.
Now, Airbus, the European aerospace giant, has 20 large buildings and is churning out four A320 jetliners a month for mostly Chinese state-controlled carriers. The company also has two new neighbors — a sprawling rocket factory and a helicopter manufacturing complex — both producing for the Chinese military.
The rapid expansion of civilian and military aerospace manufacturing in Tianjin reflects China’s broader ambitions.
As Beijing’s leaders try to find new ways to invest $3 trillion of foreign reserves, the country has been aggressively expanding in industries with strong economic potential. The Chinese government and state-owned companies have already made a major push into financial services and natural resources, acquiring stakes in Morgan Stanley and Blackstone and buying oil and gas fields around the world.
Aerospace represents the latest frontier for China, which is eyeing parts manufacturers, materials producers, leasing businesses, cargo airlines and airport operators. The country now rivals the United States as a market for civilian airliners, which China hopes to start supplying from domestic production. And the new leadership named at the Party Congress in November has publicly emphasized long-range missiles and other aerospace programs in its push for military modernization.
If Boeing’s difficulties with its recently grounded aircraft, the Dreamliner, weigh on the industry, it could create opportunity. Chinese companies, which have plenty of capital, have been welcomed by some American companies as a way to create jobs. Wall Street has been eager, too, at a time when other merger activity has been weak.”
via China’s Focus on Aerospace Raises Security Questions – NYTimes.com.
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27/01/2013
* China’s jumbo air freighter test flight a success
Xinhua/Reuters: “China has conducted a successful test flight of its first domestically developed jumbo air freighter, the official state news agency Xinhua reported on Saturday.
The Yun-20, or Transport-20, is designed for long-distance air transport of both cargo and passengers, Xinhua reported.
“The successful maiden flight of Yun-20 is significant in promoting China’s economic and national defense build-up as well as bettering its emergency handling such as disaster relief and humanitarian aid,” Xinhua said, adding that further test flights are scheduled.
China is determined to reduce dependency on foreign firms such as Boeing (BA.N), Airbus (EAD.PA), General Electric (GE.N) and Rolls Royce Plc (RR.L) for the country’s soaring demand for planes and engines.
Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the country’s dominant military and commercial aviation contractor, has lobbied for Beijing to back a multi-billion dollar plan to build a high-performance engine.
Meanwhile a host of design flaws has delayed approval by the Civil Aviation Administration of China for the country’s homegrown 90-seat ARJ21 regional passenger jet.
English: Model of the Comac C919 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
At last November’s China Airshow, China unveiled 50 new orders for its COMAC C919 passenger jet which is designed to challenge Airbus and Boeing in the largest segment of the $100 billion annual jetliner market.
The orders for the 150-seat jet boosted the official tally to 380, reaching the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China‘s declared breakeven point of 300-400 orders.
However, analysts say it will be some time before the aircraft, due to make its maiden flight in 2014, proves both its technical worth and its financial viability.”
via China’s jumbo air freighter test flight a success: Xinhua | Reuters.
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07/10/2012
* India poised for giant leap in space science, 56% jump in collaboration with US, France, Russia
India is in an undeclared space race with China. The difference is that China is doing it alone whereas India is doing it collaboratively with several other countries. Both are making substantial progress.
Times of India: “India may have taken a giant leap into the hallowed club of space research, with leaders like the United States and Russia, increasingly joining hands with Indian space scientists in quest for the unknown. Latest data on India’s international collaboration in space sciences has shown an almost 56% increase between 2001-05 and 2006-10.
Between 2001 and 2005, 629 publications were internationally co-authored between Indian and international space scientists. The output increased to almost 980 publications by 2006-10 — a growth of 55.8% in raw volume.
These internationally co-authored publications, which contributed to 45.2% of India’s total research output in 2001-05 increased to 47.1% by 2006-10.
The analysis, done by Thomson Reuters and submitted to the ministry of science and technology, says these levels of international cooperation are the highest among all the fields under analysis. The US was India’s most frequent collaborating partner in this field with American researchers co-authoring 465 publications with their Indian counterparts — 22.3% of India’s total research output in space science.
France was the second most important collaborating partner with India, co-authoring 206 publications with Indian researchers in 2006-10. France accounted for 9.9% of India’s total research output in this field, an increase of 1.7% since 2001-05.
Collaborating in space science as percentage of India’s total research output in this field also increased with the UK (+0.8%) and Germany (+1.4%), Russia (+1.9%), Spain (+1.4%), Australia (+0.7%) and the Netherlands (+0.7%). Collaboration has increased substantially across the board with all major countries.
Consider the case of Russia. Indian and Russian space scientists co-authored 29 papers between 2001 and 2005, and the output increased to 82 papers between 2005 and 2010. Ditto for Germany. As against 98 papers co-authored in 2001-05, the output rose to 175 in 2006-10.
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05/10/2012
* India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Dhanush missile
India is continuing to increase its missile capabilities. It is not clear whether these are being developed for defensive or offensive purposes.
Times of India: “India successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable ballistic missile Dhanush on Friday from a naval ship in the Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast, an official said.
The missile was fired somewhere between Puri and Visakhapatnam as part of training exercise of the Indian Navy.
“The test was successful,” Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) spokesperson Ravi Kumar Gupta told IANS.
With a pay-load capacity of 500 kg, Dhanush is a naval version of the nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi. It is capable of carrying both conventional as well as nuclear warheads and can strike targets in the range of 350 km.
With its ability to hit targets on the sea as well as on shore, the missile gives the Indian Navy the capability to strike enemy targets with great precision.
The test of Dhanush comes a day after the Indian armed forces successfully test-fired nuclear-capable ballistic missile Prithvi-II from Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur-on-sea in Balasore district, about 230 km from here.
Prithvi is India’s first indigenously built ballistic missile. It is one of the five missiles being developed under the country’s Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme.”
via India successfully test-fires nuclear-capable Dhanush missile – The Times of India.
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29/09/2012
* India’s heaviest satellite GSAT-10 launched
The Hindu: “GSAT-10, the country’s newest and heaviest satellite, was launched in the wee hours of Saturday from the Kourou launchpad in French Guiana in South America. It will directly boost telecommunications and direct-to-home broadcasting among others.
The satellite, 9th in ISRO’s present fleet, will be operational in November and add 30 transponders to the domestic INSAT system, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) said soon after the launch.
The ISRO launched the 3.4-tonne spacecraft on the European Ariane 5 rocket as the agency cannot currently launch satellites of such mass on its own vehicles. The satellite and the launch fee cost the agency Rs. 750 crore.
The ISRO called its 101st mission “a grand success,” adding that the satellite was in good health.
ISRO’s Chairman and Secretary, Department of Space, Dr. K. Radhakrishnan, and senior scientists have been at the Master Control Facility, Hassan (some 80 km from Bangalore) since Friday evening. It is also the first time that the Chairman was not present at the launch site.”
via The Hindu : News / National : India’s heaviest satellite GSAT-10 launched.
See also:
09/08/2012
* Agni-II successfully test-fired
the Hindu: “India successfully test-fired nuclear weapons capable strategic ballistic missile, Agni-II, for its full range of more than 2,000 km from Wheeler Island off the Odisha Coast on Thursday.
The launch was carried out by Strategic Force Command personnel from a mobile launcher. The Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, which carried a dummy payload of 1,000 kg, was fired at 8.46 a.m. from a rail mobile launcher. Agni-II has already been inducted into the services and belongs to the group of Agni class of strategic missiles which form the bulwark of India”s nuclear deterrence policy.
Top Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) officials told The Hindu from Wheeler Island that the two-stage solid-propelled missile followed a text-book trajectory and zeroed in on to a pre-determined target point in the Bay of Bengal with a single to two digit accuracy after a 700-second flight.
They said the re-entry systems worked well and all other systems functioned perfectly.The electro-optical systems and telemetry stations tracked and monitored the missile’s flight path. Two ships stationed in the vicinity of the target point witnessed the terminal event.
The SFC personnel conducted the trial as part of regular user exercise. Agni-II is 20 metres long and capable of carrying a nuclear warhead weighing one ton.
It was the third success in a row for Agni variants following the launch of Agni-V in April and Agni-1 recently.”
via The Hindu : News / National : Agni-II successfully test-fired.
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