“3, 2, 1, ignition, take off…” at 17:50 on March 29, China’s first solid bound medium-sized launch vehicle, Long March 6, was successfully launched at Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, successfully putting Pujiang 2 satellite and Tiankun 2 satellite into the predetermined orbit. The complete success of the first flight of the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket marks the addition of new members to China’s new generation carrier rocket family and further improves the type spectrum construction of China’s new generation carrier rocket.
Reviewing the development history of China’s launch vehicles, the long march series launch vehicles have entered a new journey of 400 + launch, but there is no precedent for solid bound rockets. As China’s first type of “hybrid” long march series launch vehicle, the modified Long March 6 launch vehicle has also completed a “cross-border” in the aerospace field with high technical difficulties and complex systems, giving full play to the comprehensive advantages of high performance of liquid engine, long working time, large thrust of solid engine, reliable operation and simple use and maintenance, further improving the type spectrum of China’s launch vehicle and greatly improving China’s entry into space The ability to use and explore space.
“The successful first flight of the Long March 6 carrier rocket has achieved a series of new technological breakthroughs such as China’s solid binding, promoted the new generation of carrier rockets to be more efficient, smarter and safer, and laid a solid foundation for the innovative development of China’s new generation of carrier rockets.” Hong Gang, commander-in-chief of the Long March 6 modified rocket of the eighth Academy of Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Co.Ltd(000901) group, told reporters that the diameter of the first and second stages of the Long March 6 modified carrier rocket core is 3.35 meters. The first stage adopts two 120 ton thrust liquid oxygen / kerosene engines, the second stage adopts a 18 ton thrust liquid oxygen / kerosene engine, and the core stage is bound with four 2-meter diameter boosters. The booster adopts a two-stage 120 ton thrust solid motor, which is developed by the fourth Institute of China Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Co.Ltd(000901) group.
The total length of the whole rocket is about 50 meters, the take-off weight of the whole rocket is about 530 tons, and the carrying capacity of 700 km solar synchronous orbit is not less than 4 tons. The rocket adopts the development approach of modularization, combination and serialization. Through the adjustment of booster, it can form a variety of configurations, and create a launch vehicle series with wide coverage of launch capacity, reasonable gradient and high cost performance, which can meet the diversified and intensive launch needs of satellites in the future.
Wang Jianru, chief designer of the solid motor for the sixth phase of the long march of the Fourth Academy of Aerospace Hi-Tech Holding Group Co.Ltd(000901) group, said that the four segmented solid booster motors bundled with the rocket were the first flight to the sky, realizing a major breakthrough in China’s aerospace solid power technology. The success of the test marks that solid power has entered the field of China’s mainstream launch vehicles and filled many gaps in China’s aerospace solid power technology, It is a milestone in the development history of Shaanxi Aerospace Power Hi-Tech Co.Ltd(600343) technology in China.
Hong Gang summed up the three characteristics of the Long March 6 carrier rocket——
“Hybrid rocket”, more efficient. The Long March 6 modified rocket has realized the “cross-border cooperation” of solid-liquid engines in the field of China’s launch vehicles for the first time, breaking through key technologies such as solid booster binding and separation technology, large concentrated force diffusion technology at binding points, solid-liquid binding combined swing control and so on. It gives full play to the comprehensive advantages of high performance, long working time of liquid motor, large thrust of solid motor and simple use and maintenance, so as to achieve higher reliability and better cost performance of rocket. At the same time, relying on the new launch station of Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center, the Long March 6 modified rocket can realize 14 day rapid launch and meet the high-density launch needs of low and medium orbit satellites.
“Health housekeeper”, more intelligent. In order to ensure that the launch mission is safe, an “intelligent” health diagnosis system is set up at the first stage of the rocket core. After the “ignition” command is issued, the core level 1 liquid engine will be ignited first, and the health diagnosis system will enter the working mode. Once an abnormal emergency occurs, the health diagnosis system will immediately make a judgment and implement automatic emergency shutdown. At the same time, the solid motor of the booster will no longer be ignited. In addition, the Long March 6 modified rocket adopts the servo system on-line fault diagnosis and adaptive reconstruction technology for the first time in China. During the rocket flight, when a servo mechanism fails, the intelligent “brain” will recalculate and assign control instructions according to the results of self diagnosis, so as to realize the intelligent control of rocket flight.
“Unattended” is safer. Four hours before the launch of the rocket, all front-end operators withdrew from the tower, and the rocket completed the subsequent launch process through unattended technology. The unattended technology of the Long March 6 modified rocket has achieved three “firsts” in China’s delivery field: the automatic docking and filling technology is adopted for the first time, which can realize the automatic filling of propellant in the whole process of long-distance; The zero second shedding technology is adopted for the first time, and the rocket ground connector automatically falls off at the moment of take-off; After the propellant filling was realized for the first time, no one was on duty at the front end of the launch site, which effectively guaranteed the safety of the rocket launch mission, and it was also a firm practice of the “people-oriented” concept of the model.
