China’s New Generation Long March 8 Carrier Rocket Successfully Fills The Void In China’s Sun Synchronous Orbit

Original Title: China Long March 8 New Generation Carrier Rocket Successfully Fills Void In Synchronous Orbit Of China’s Sun

The successful first flight of China’s new generation carrier rocket Long March 8 Photo: Zhao Li

International online report (reporter Wei Yuchen): At 12:37 on December 22, the first flight test of a new medium-size carrier rocket, Long March 8, independently developed by China, was successfully carried out , at the Wenchang space launch site in Hainan. The rocket flew normally and the test was a complete success. The successful first flight of the “Chang 8” rocket will fill the gap of China’s 3-4.5-ton payload capacity in sun-synchronous orbit, and will also lay a solid foundation for China’s repeated use of rocket development. carriers.

At 12:37 on the 22nd, with a loud noise, the Long March 8 carrier rocket flew for the first time at the Wenchang space launch site in Hainan and successfully sent 5 satellites into the predetermined orbit.

As a new generation carrier rocket in China, the Long March 8 has a total length of about 50 meters and a takeoff mass of about 360 tons. It adopts environmentally friendly and environmentally friendly liquid propellant and is developed according to the modular combination concept, fully absorbing the development results of the new generation in-service carrier rocket. , With good inheritance, advancement, adaptability and economy. According to Mu Yu, director of the General Design Department of the Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation of the First China Academy, the Long March 8 rocket is mainly used to launch synchronous solar orbit (SSO) satellites and takes into account the capabilities of launch of low Earth orbit and geosynchronous transfer orbits. The blank of the 3-4.5 ton orbital payload capacity is of great importance to accelerate the upgrade of launch vehicles. “Through the minimum cost: the development cycle is very short, and the formal development of the project (there are) two or three years, we can form the combat effectiveness. It is equivalent to improving our synchronous orbit carrying capacity from the sun, and it can make up our There are some gaps in the road (capacity), and the non-toxic and pollution-free improvement of the electrical system has also been carried out.

Of course, launching a new carrier rocket will inevitably come with some risks and challenges. On the eve of the test launch, the launch mission originally planned for the 20th was postponed due to high-altitude wind and other environmental factors. The reporter learned that due to the compact structure and light weight of the new carrier rocket, the flight attitude has very high requirements for protection of the environment from high-altitude wind. Pan Hao, the chief designer of the Long March 8 rocket control system of the China First Academy Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, further explained, “Due to the typhoon transit, their method is to identify and control (mode), which means that the wind must blow first. When I arrived, I felt the wind blowing, and then I produced the corresponding actions to counter that form. But when the wind was really strong and fast, the rocket body arrived too late (reacted) and reacted too late. Because the body of the rocket was not Like other small aircraft, the answer is more sensitive. The rocket is bigger and moves more slowly. When the wind changes faster than the rocket is moving, it cannot respond in a very timely and effective manner. “

The Long March 8 launch vehicle is understood to be China’s first state-approved launch vehicle for the commercial market. While developing a low-cost electrical and structural design, it also conducts vertical take-off and landing investigations, which may be repeated in the future. use. Mou Yu said: “In the future, Long March 8 will further optimize its cost for commercial launches, including optimizing technical solutions, so that its launch costs will be lower. It will also attempt to verify and verify reuse technologies. Exploring even further lowers our cost and the threshold to enter space, allowing us to launch a large number of missions. “

Compared with the past, the Long March 8 launch vehicle also adopted engine throttle technology for the first time. The purpose is to optimize the rocket’s payload capacity and lay the foundations for subsequent core-level engine recovery.

This mission is reported to be the 356th launch in the Long March series of carrier rockets.Return to Sohu to see more