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The Haolong development model.
SINGAPORE—AVIC subsidiary Chengdu Aircraft Design Institute has revealed its Haolong reusable cargo space shuttle.
The China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) shortlisted the spacecraft as one of two proposed affordable cargo spacecraft designs.
Revealed at the Zhuhai Airshow, the Haolong features a large wingspan with high lift-to-drag ratio, a blunt nose and upswept delta wings. Fang Yuanpeng, Haolong's chief designer, told state media Global Times that the spacecraft takes reference from the U.S. Dream Chaser project, but instead of an expendable Shooting Star module, Haolong’s cargo bay is fully integrated into the fuselage.
Haolong measures around 10 m (33 ft.) in length and 8 m in width—clocking in at roughly half the weight of the Tianzhou cargo module, or around 7,000 kg (15,500 lb.).
The spacecraft will be launched from a carrier rocket, but will return to Earth like a conventional aircraft, landing on a typical runway. Fang said the high lift-to-drag ratio gives Haolong significant maneuverability in space, facilitating a wider return window. He added that the affordable operational price tag gives CMSA the flexibility to dispatch cargo, such as fresh food, and exchange scientific research materials.
Fang said AVIC has completed the program design stage and will proceed to the engineering development stage before topping off with a cargo mission to space.
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