China is working on a spacecraft so massive that it will be more than half a mile in length. This “Ultra-Large” ship is expected to cost millions of dollars and it will revolutionize the way humanity travels across space. The scale of this project is mind-boggling and its implications for the space industry are immense.
China is planning major steps for its space program in the coming decade. One of the proposals under consideration for the China’s new five-year plan involves creating an “ultra-large spacecraft”.
Launching this spacecraft to low Earth orbit (LEO) would allow for long-duration missions and the utilization of space resources. This proposal is part of a series of ambitious Chinese space projects. It follows China achieved major milestones, such as becoming the second country to land a rover on Mars and the first country to land a mission with an orbiter, lander, and rover. China was also the first nation to land a robotic mission on the far side of the moon in 2019.
The ultra-large spacecraft project is one of ten submitted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, a basic research funding agency managed by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Each project received two million three hundred thousand dollars in funding for further development.
A critical goal for the project is to determine how to keep the spacecraft’s mass low while ensuring it remains structurally strong enough to launch into orbit. The Chinese foundation’s project outline reveals that the spacecraft will be assembled in space. Its sections will be built on Earth and launched separately into orbit to be put together to create a Chinese space station.
The project outline indicates that this spacecraft will be “a major strategic aerospace equipment for the future use of space resources, exploration of the mysteries of the universe, and staying in long-term orbit.”
The space station is expected to weigh around one hundred tons and be about a quarter of the size of the International Space Station (ISS) when finished. However, experts warn that engineers will face serious challenges, such as building a skilled workforce and securing the resources needed for construction.
Pang Zhihao is a Beijing-based space expert. He explained that the ISS was built in orbit due to launch vehicle limitations. Its parts were delivered in separate spaceflights over many years.
It took twelve years, from 1998 to 2010, to complete the ISS. By the time it was finished, the first module was almost at the end of its lifespan. Pang speculates that building their huge space station will take even longer and require stronger, more flexible components to ensure longevity and easy replacements.
The project’s complexity goes beyond technical challenges because it also involves careful planning and management. Space debris, which will be very difficult to avoid for such a large spacecraft, is another concern.
The project is also connected to another ambitious plan. The Chinese intend to construct a space power plant. China hopes to begin construction of the plant in 2028.