China's recently successful launch of a "test spacecraft" refers to a reusable aerospace vehicle that shares some similarities with the American X-37B. As a spacecraft that is too advanced to be displayed, it has completed two missions and was successfully launched by a CZ-2F rocket. The first mission was launched on September 4, 2020, and returned two days later, lasting more than one day;The second mission was launched on August 5, 2022, lasted 276 days, and returned on May 8, 2023. And this is its third flight, and the orbital time is expected to be longer.
Like the X-37B, the Chinese "test spacecraft" relies on a launch vehicle for a vertical take-off booster launch and an unpowered glide flight through the atmosphere. Although it looks like an airplane in shape and can fly into space, its weight should be controlled at 8Up to 6 tons. Therefore, both domestic and foreign aerospace enthusiasts think that these two aerospace vehicles are very similar, but they cannot be called "aerospace aircraft" in the real sense.
China's Long March-2F rocket is known as the "magic arrow", and its high success rate is due to the inheritance and accumulation of technology. Since the development began in 1992, the baton of the chief designer has been passed down several times, but the spirit of excellence has never changed. In 2018, the Long March launch vehicle has been launched more than 300 times, of which the first "100" took 37 years and the second "100" took 75 years, the third "100 times" took 425 years. This success is mainly due to the continuous inheritance and innovation of technology, as well as the pursuit of high reliability and high safety.
In contrast, the American launch vehicle faces a number of problems. The United States was the first to adopt the contractor method, and some parts came from ** suppliers, which was not a problem. However, after the end of the Cold War, the degree of "deindustrialization" and "hollowing out of manufacturing" in the United States was quite high, coupled with the fact that the military-industrial complex crowded out a large number of external companies, resulting in the "loss" of some rocket technology. Although NASA still has many options, it finally decided to give the order to companies such as Musk's SpaceX. This practice not only has the risk of generational interruption, but also the hidden danger of technological advancement. Delays and failures have become the norm, for example, the United States' SLS rocket was postponed 17 times, and it was not until more than a decade later that the first "return to the moon" spacecraft of the United States was successfully launched into lunar orbit.
Therefore, we should appreciate the strong strength and innovation capabilities of the United States and other space powers in the field of space, and at the same time avoid making the same mistakes. As a space power, China also has a lot to learn from in the field of aerospace. We must maintain a learning mentality, constantly pursue scientific and technological innovation, and always pay attention to the reliability and safety of aerospace technology.
In conclusion, the Chinese "test spacecraft" are similar to the American X-37B in some respects, both are reusable aerospace vehicles. As China's "magic arrow", the Long March-2F rocket's high success rate is due to the inheritance and accumulation of technology. And the U.S. rocket faces some problems, including the risk of dynastic breakage and the hidden danger of technological advancement. We should appreciate the strength of other space powers, but at the same time, we should avoid making the same mistakes and continue to pursue technological innovation and reliability.