First-Stage Rocket Engines for China’s Crewed Moon Missions Complete Trial Run

First-Stage Rocket Engines for China’s Crewed Moon Missions Complete Trial Run

China on Friday, June 14, 2024, successfully completed a trial run for the first-stage propulsion system of the Long March-10 carrier rocket, marking a key step toward realizing its crewed Moon landing goal by 2030.

Conducted at Institute 101 of the Sixth Academy of China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) in Beijing, it was the first large-scale system-level ground test of the Long March-10 series that will be used for the country’s future crewed lunar missions that will full verify many key technologies.

The test run of the propulsion system is equivalent to a launch without takeoff. Three engines of the system started normally, worked stably and shut down on time, and all tested parameters showed no abnormalities.

"The test is basically a comprehensive verification of our first-stage module. It was a complete success, laying a solid foundation for our subsequent research and development and the realization of our entire manned lunar exploration program," said Xu Hongping, an engineer with CASC.

The Long March-10 is a three-and-a-half-stage rocket developed for the purpose of sending crewed spacecraft and Moon landers into the Earth-Moon transfer orbit. It has a total length of about 92 meters, a takeoff weight of over 2,180 tonnes, a takeoff thrust of about 2,678 tonnes, and a carrying capacity of no less than 27 tonnes for the Earth-Moon transfer orbit. A non-booster configuration of the new rocket is capable of conducting missions for transporting astronauts and cargo to the space station.

"The development of new-generation crewed rockets can greatly enhance our country's ability to enter space and help the Chinese land on the Moon. In addition, its technological breakthroughs can drive the development of our entire aerospace industry and will be a considerable boost to the country's advanced manufacturing sector," said Xu.

According to CASC's development plan, the second trial run for the Long March-10 rocket's first-stage propulsion system will be carried out in the near future to further verify other working conditions.

Video Credit: CCTV

Duration: 1 minute, 43 seconds

Release Date: June 14, 2024

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