On November 2, China's commercial aerospace industry made a historic moment when the liquid oxygen methane reusable verification rocket "Interstellar Glory SQX-2Y" successfully completed the first full-scale one-stage vertical take-off and landing and reusable flight test of a liquid rocket in China at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center. This breakthrough achievement has injected new vitality into China's commercial spaceflight, and the second flight test on December 10 is even more jaw-dropping, demonstrating the new height of China's space technology.
Fly like a ballet in the air
This time, the Verification Arrow once again challenged the height, soaring to 350 meters into the sky, demonstrating its excellent maneuverability. Compared to the 178 of the first test flightAt 42 meters, the flight was even more spectacular and challenging. It is worth mentioning that the verification arrow not only completed the lateral movement during the fall, but also landed steadily at a distance of 50 meters from the take-off point, like a superb dancer completing a gorgeous dance step in the sky. This innovative take-off and landing mode marks a new level of technological level in China's commercial aerospace industry, leading the global trend of reusable liquid rockets.
The rocket autonomously "uses its brains".
At critical moments, the Verification Arrow demonstrated excellent autonomous navigation and control capabilities. Without manual intervention, the rocket autonomously "uses its brains" according to the pre-set landing point coordinates, adjusts the attitude, and accurately lands to the designated area. The successful application of this automation technology provides strong support for the feasibility of future commercial aerospace, and also adds another step to China's technical strength in the aerospace field.
The art of reuse
In order to realize the reuse of rockets, it is very important to establish test specifications and processes after each time. After the verification arrow completed the flight, the technical team carried out a lot of inspections and tests, including engine carbon deposits, pipeline air tightness, wearing parts status, etc. This test is not only a re-flight of the rocket, but also a test of the existing multiplexing detection process. After about 10 days of "physical examination", the verification arrow successfully passed all tests, providing a reliable guarantee for more frequent launches in the future.
Liquid oxygen methane: the new darling of rockets
In this test, the liquid oxygen methane propellant used in the verification arrow performed well. Compared to other propellants, liquid oxygen methane produces little to no engine carbon during combustion and is less costly. This is also the first multiplex flight verification of liquid oxygen methane rocket in China, which has made an important breakthrough in the reusable technology of liquid launch vehicles for China's commercial aerospace. Chief Engineer Ji Haibo revealed that it is expected that next year, the verification arrow will conduct the third flight test, and this time it will achieve the first flight test at sea, once again refreshing the record of China's commercial aerospace.
A blueprint for the future
For reusable rockets, this test is not only a technological leap, but also a new chapter in China's commercial space development. Ji Haibo said that the technical team hopes to achieve on-site testing at the launch site in the future, and shorten the cycle from ** to flight again to the third day when the rocket is in good condition. This vision makes it possible to launch frequently from commercial space, adding new bargaining chips to China's competitiveness in the international commercial space market.
Conclusion
The liquid rocket of the Interstellar Glory SQX-2Y has once again emerged, injecting innovative genes into China's commercial spaceflight. This flight test is not only a demonstration of technical strength, but also a journey of confidence for China's aerospace industry to move towards a broader sky. The reusability of liquid oxygen methane rockets marks that China's commercial aerospace industry has made remarkable progress in propellant selection and technological innovation. We look forward to the third flight test next year, which will paint an even more brilliant blueprint for the future of commercial spaceflight.