China' conducts ignition test conducted on new rocket

China' conducts ignition test conducted on new rocket
by Simon Mansfield
Sydney, Australia (SPX) Jun 18, 2024

Chinese rocket scientists and engineers conducted a critical test of a propulsion system for a new carrier rocket, essential for China's future manned moon landings.

"During the ignition test that took place at an engine testing facility in Beijing's Fengtai district, three YF-100K engines spewed fire for several minutes, generating a combined thrust of 382 metric tons, according to the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the nation's top rocket maker."

The YF-100K engine will provide lifting power for the Long March 10 rocket, under development at the academy, a subsidiary of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.

The Long March 10, a new type of rocket, will transport China's next generation of crewed spacecraft and landing modules to the moon. It is expected to be ready for its maiden flight around 2027.

The rocket will consist of a core booster and several side boosters and will be 92.5 meters tall, the height of a 32-story building. It will have a liftoff weight of 2,189 tons and a thrust of 2,678 tons.

It will be capable of transporting spacecraft weighing at least 27 tons to an Earth-moon transfer trajectory.

China's first manned lunar expedition involves two Long March 10 launches from the Wenchang Space Launch Center in Hainan province to transport a landing module and a manned spacecraft to lunar orbit.

After reaching orbital positions, the landing module and the spacecraft will dock. Two crew members will enter the landing module, which will then descend to the lunar surface for a soft landing.

On the moon, the astronauts will drive a rover to conduct scientific tasks and collect samples. They will return to the landing module, which will then fly them back to their spacecraft in lunar orbit.

In the final stage, the astronauts will bring the samples onto their spacecraft, which will then carry the crew back to Earth.

China has conducted six robotic moon missions, deploying two rovers and retrieving samples during the Chang'e 5 and Chang'e 6 missions.

A variant of the Long March 10 without side boosters is also being developed.

This model will be 67 meters tall with a liftoff weight of about 740 tons. It will transport astronauts or cargo with a combined weight of 14 tons to the Tiangong space station in low-Earth orbit.