China plans to build super-rocket

– China is working on a super-powerful rocket capable of delivering heavier payloads into low orbit than Nasa, a leading Chinese space expert was quoted as saying yesterday.

By 2030, the Long March-9 rocket under development will be able to carry 140 tons into lowEarth orbit, where TV and earth observation satellites currently fly, said Long Lehao, a senior official from the Chinese Academy of Engineering, according to the official Xinhua news agency.

This compares to the 20 tons deliverable by Europe’s Ariane 5 rocket or the 64 tons by Elon Musk’s Falcon Heavy, which in February catapulted one of the US entrepreneur’s red Tesla Roadster cars towards Mars.

It would also outstrip the 130 tons of Nasa’s Space Launch System, which becomes operational in 2020.

China’s Long March-9 would have a core stage measuring 10m in diameter with four powerful boosters, each with a diameter of 5m.

Xinhua quoted Long as saying the rocket could be used in manned lunar landings, deep space exploration or constructing a space-based solar-power plant.

In addition, China is working on a reusable space rocket expected to make its maiden flight in 2021.

China is pouring billions into its military-run space programme, with hopes of having a crewed space station by 2022 and of sending humans to the moon soon. The Asian superpower is looking to match up with the US and Russia. China is also planning to build a base on the moon, the state-run Global Times said in March. – AFP