China begins research into constructing kilometer-spanning spacecraft

2021-09-01T16:23:00-04:00

A mega spacecraft assembled in orbit is among projects that Chinese researchers have been invited to study, as the country expands plans for future space exploration and long-term crewed missions. The National Natural Science Foundation of China has called on scientists to join a five-year project to study the mechanics of an “ultra-large spacecraft spanning kilometres”

This is among 10 proposed research projects released in August by the foundation’s mathematical and physical sciences department, which will provide funding of up to $2.3 million to five projects. The project will gather researchers to investigate how this endeavor could be realized, exploring the engineering challenges of such a major undertaking. For example, according to the project’s outline, the modular spacecraft would have to be assembled in space through a series of separate trips due to its size. To limit the number of launches and construction costs, researchers will be tasked with minimizing the weight of the spacecraft.

According to the South China Morning Post, China has invested heavily in its space program, with projects including sending a functional rover on Mars and the development of its Tiangong space station.

In regards to the kilometer-spanning speculative project, the foundation states, “[Such a spacecraft] is a major strategic aerospace equipment for the fu...

Stars in their eyes: architects and scientists mull designs for ark in space

2014-05-27T13:23:00-04:00

Architects, designers and scientists have joined forces to explore the technologies needed to build a spacecraft that could be launched within the next 100 years and sustain human life for generations. Early designs for the ship envisage a giant 15km-wide ball filled with soil that will support complex ecosystems of microbes, plants and animal life. Rather than building homes on top of the soil, humans will live within, carving out rooms in a network of connected burrows.

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China begins research into constructing kilometer-spanning spacecraft

Stars in their eyes: architects and scientists mull designs for ark in space