In the not so distant future, Chinese-made spacecraft will be taking China's people to outer space.

This goal might be realized sooner than expected, as researchers at the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology are designing a spacecraft that will be propelled by a combination of turbine, ramjet and rocket engines, China Daily reported.

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According to Zhang Yong, deputy chief designer of the academy's research and development center, the spacecraft will use turbine engines, like those on planes, or rocket-based combined-cycle engines upon its take-off off from a conventional runway.

Zhang explained that when the spacecraft reaches a certain speed, the ramjet will be activated, propelling the vehicle into the stratosphere or to the next layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

He said that at this stage, rocket engines will fire in order to put the space vehicle into orbit.

Zhang noted that the Chinese spacecraft will have lower maintenance costs and a better safety record.

The space vehicle, he added, will be capable of transporting both astronauts and civilians hundreds of kilometers above the earth.

Zhang pointed out the spaceship will have a huge potential for space tourism or intercontinental passenger travel.

"Space travelers will have a short period of weightlessness when the vehicle reaches an altitude of about 100 kilometers," he explained.

"If the spacecraft continues to fly up to 400 km above Earth, passengers will experience what it is like to be in a space station," he added.

In the meantime, Yang Yang, a designer at the academy's Institute of Combined-Cycle Aerospace Vehicle Technology, said that nations with space programs are now using rockets in their exploration activities.

"Rockets have an ultrafast acceleration during flight, resulting in very strict requirements for astronauts' physical condition," Yang said. 

By comparison, the modern, combined-powered Chinese spacecraft will be capable of gathering speed at a slower pace, and gently, making the air pressure acceptable to non-astronauts, he added.

Tagschina, Chinese Spacecraft