The reporter learned from the Fourth Academy of the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation on the 5th that the ground thermal test run of a 200-ton thrust solid rocket engine newly developed by China was a complete success. This result can be applied to the improved version of the Long March 11 solid carrier rocket in the future.
This is an integrated solid engine developed by the Fourth Academy to meet the needs of the commercial aerospace launch market. At present, it has the largest charge and the largest thrust in China. It uses a high-performance fiber-wound composite material shell with a diameter of 2.65 meters and a charge of 71 tons.
Xu Liping, a representative of the National People's Congress and a "big country craftsman" from the Fourth Academy, introduced to the reporter of Science and Technology Daily that the casing of the engine adopts advanced technology and is formed from non-metallic materials by winding. Compared with the metal shell used in previous models, it has greater strength and lighter weight, which can greatly improve the specific impulse of the engine.
In 2009, with the support of the headquarter of the group company and the overall unit, the Fourth Academy successfully developed the solid thrust rocket engine with the largest thrust in China at that time, with a diameter of 2 meters, a loading capacity of 35 tons, and a thrust of 120 tons. Its successful development directly promoted the development of the first full-solid rocket Long March 11 in China's Long March series of rockets, and became an important milestone for China's aerospace solid power to expand into the space of spacecraft.
In comparison, the charge of the new research engine has doubled. Xu Liping said that the charge from 35 to 71 tons is not a simple "addition" in quantity, which includes a number of innovations in technology, equipment, and operating methods, as well as adjustments in parameters, conditions, and gunpowder formulations.
"It is also more difficult to shape gunpowder for the new engine than before. When trimming the medicine surface, there are some special parts that need to be more carefully trimmed, and the operation difficulty will increase due to the larger diameter." Xu Liping said that he saw the engine for the first time At that time, his weight lifted him up, higher than standing up and raising his hands. Therefore, many difficulties need to be overcome during dressing. At that time, the Fourth Academy organized a team of elite soldiers. It took 2 days to complete the trimming work that used to take 4 or 5 days, which successfully ensured the safety and quality.
The adoption of a number of new technologies has enabled the engine's comprehensive performance to reach world-class levels, and can provide China's future solid carrier rocket with more powerful and cost-effective advanced power. It is reported that it will increase the 700 km solar synchronous orbit carrying capacity of the improved Long March 11 rocket from 420 kg to about 1.5 tons, and can better control costs.