Recently, China's space industry has once again ushered in remarkable achievements. The authority reported a major news, that is, at 21:41 on December 15, China successfully launched the Long March 5 carrier rocket in Wenchang, Hainan, and successfully launched the remote sensing 41 satellite into the scheduled orbit. This achievement marks another leap forward in China's space technology.
It is worth noting that this launch mission is different from the past. For the first time, an improved "Extended Version" fairing was used, a change that brought the Long March 5's carrying capacity to new heights.
The so-called "elongated" fairing, from the point of view of appearance, is mainly reflected in its size. Specifically, the fairing of the rocket launched this time had a diameter of 52 meters, the height reached 185 meters. with the previous 12At 267 meters, this is a 50% increase in size, which is a remarkable change.
The increased size of the fairing means that the rocket can carry satellites or other payloads of greater volume and weight. During space launches, fairings play a crucial role in protecting payloads from harmful environments such as aerodynamics, pneumatic heating, and acoustic vibrations.
Regarding the remote sensing satellite launched this time, it is reported that it is the latest product of China's remote sensing satellite series. China has made it clear that these satellites are mainly used in civilian fields, such as meteorological early warning, land census, crop yield estimation, disaster relief, etc. Since 2006, China has developed in the field of remote sensing satellites for 17 years, and the technological progress in this field has been remarkable, making great contributions to the well-being of the country and its people.
However, the launch attracted widespread attention from the international community, especially the United States. In the past, China's remote sensing satellites were sufficient to accomplish their missions using the Long March-2 launch vehicle, but this time the longer thrust Long March 5 was chosen, suggesting that China may have made breakthroughs in some areas.
Some experts in the United States believe that the Remote Sensing No. 41 satellite may have adopted advanced technology, and its performance indicators may be close to those of the American Keyhole Kh-11 satellite. The KH-11 satellite is a kind of military reconnaissance satellite of the United States, which has advanced imaging technology and a variety of protection measures, and can flexibly adjust the imaging system according to the environment for strategic reconnaissance.
However, in the author's opinion, it is inappropriate to compare China's civilian remote sensing satellites with US military reconnaissance satellites. China has been emphasizing that its range of remote sensing satellites are used for civilian purposes and are fundamentally different from US military reconnaissance satellites. The focus of China's aerospace development is to serve the well-being of the country and its people, rather than conducting military reconnaissance.
This new achievement of China's aerospace industry once again proves its continuous progress in the field of space technology. Although there are different voices and interpretations in the international community, China's aerospace achievements and goals are clear and firm. The successful launch is not only a technological progress, but also a reflection of China's growing position in the global space field. China's space program has always adhered to the principle of peaceful use of outer space, and is committed to exploring and using space to bring benefits to human society.
On the whole, this major progress in China's aerospace industry has not only strengthened the country's scientific and technological strength, but also contributed to the development of global aerospace science and technology. The success of this launch is not only an affirmation of China's aerospace technological strength, but also an adherence to its principle of peaceful use of outer space. In the future, we can expect China to make more achievements in the field of space science and technology and make greater contributions to the well-being of all mankind.