ANNUAL REPORT

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potential conflict, such as the South China Sea and Western Pacific.
160 The Y–20 reportedly has a maximum payload of roughly
55–65 tons.* 161 By comparison, the U.S. C–17 Globemaster heavy
transport aircraft has a maximum payload of approximately 76
tons. 162 A March 2016 article in the state-run People’s Daily said
the Y–20 would be delivered ‘‘in bulk’’ to the PLA by the end of
2016. 163
Figure 6: Y–20 Heavy Transport Aircraft
Source: Jay Bennett, ‘‘China’s New Y–20 Is the Largest Military Aircraft Currently in Production,’’
Popular Mechanics, June 20, 2016.
Space: China conducted its first Long March-7 (LM–7) rocket
launch in June 2016, utilizing the new Wenchang Satellite Launch
Center in Hainan Province for the first time.† The LM–7 uses a
less toxic and more efficient fuel than previous Chinese rockets and
will reportedly serve as China’s main carrier for future space missions.
164 The LM–7 can carry 13.5 tons into low Earth orbit, a significant
increase from the LM–2F at 8 tons and the more frequently-used
LM–2C and LM–2D at 3.9 tons; 165 the forthcoming
LM–5, expected to be launched later this year, will be able to carry
25 tons into low Earth orbit and 14 tons to geostationary transfer
orbit ‡ (as opposed to the LM–3E at 5.5 tons) 166 as China’s largest
launch vehicle to date. 167 The LM–7 and LM–5 will thus be able
to launch larger payloads, such as the three modules planned for
China’s future 60-ton space station, 168 or greater numbers of sat-
dkrause on DSKHT7XVN1PROD with USCC
* When used in this section, ‘‘ton’’ refers to ‘‘metric ton.’’
† The Wenchang Space Launch Center is China’s fourth such center and closer to the equator
than the others, providing fuel savings and, by extension, payload savings for satellite launches
to geosynchronous orbit, as satellites require less maneuvering to get into position once
launched. Wang Cong and Fu Shuangqi, ‘‘Rocket Launch Gets China One Step Closer to Own
Space Station,’’ Space Daily, June 28, 2016.
‡ It is common to compare launch vehicles’ capabilities based on the amount of mass they can
lift to ‘‘geosynchronous transfer orbit,’’ an elliptical orbit at an altitude of around 23,000 mi at
the furthest point from Earth into which a spacecraft is first launched in order to later reach
geosynchronous and geostationary Earth orbits. The spacecraft does this by turning and firing
its rocket engine to circularize its orbit. Geosynchronous Earth orbit can be achieved at about
22,000–23,000 mi above the equator; spacecraft in this orbit return to the same point in the
sky at the same time each day. Geostationary Earth orbit is the highest orbital band within
geosynchronous Earth orbit; at this altitude, satellites move at the same speed as the Earth’s
rotation, enabling them to cover large geographic areas. National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Basics of Space Flight: Planetary Orbits, 2015.
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