CASC Academy conducted fire tests of combined engines for the new “Long March”
China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC), the country's leading space contractor, has achieved a significant technological breakthrough in the field of rocketry. On April 16, at the test site in Fengxian County, Shaanxi Province, CASC tested a new heavy-duty liquid-propellant rocket engine.
At the stand, four new engines were combined and simultaneously launched. This made it possible to test their joint work and fully simulate operation as part of a power plant for a promising heavy launch vehicle, which will make its first flight in the near future.
The new engines are a modernized and strengthened version of the well-proven YF-100 family. They run on an environmentally friendly pair of fuel components — liquid oxygen and kerosene. At the same time, the thrust of each unit is an impressive 130 tons.
During the past tests, the combined thrust of all four engines exceeded 500 tons — an unprecedented figure for Chinese liquid rocket engines of this class. This is more than double the thrust of the engines currently used and opens the way to a significant increase in the payload capacity of new launch vehicles.
Li Bin, deputy head of the CASC Academy of Aerospace Propulsion Technology and chief designer of the new engines, noted the successful testing. The results confirmed the reliable joint operation of the four units and their readiness for use in conditions that fully simulate the launch of a launch vehicle.
According to Li Bin, the new super-powerful engines will form the basis of the propulsion system of the promising Long March 12 rocket. This heavy-duty launch vehicle, whose first flight is scheduled for this year, will be equipped with four new engines in the first stage. The colossal total thrust of 520 tons will allow Long March 12 to launch record heavy loads into low-Earth orbit.
This event opens up wide opportunities for China to increase the payload capacity of launch vehicles and implement ambitious manned and unmanned space missions. The successful firing test was a major technological achievement for the Chinese rocket and space industry.
Testing the new power plant was the second significant event for CASC in April. On April 12, CASC conducted the 15th successful twin-ignition test of another promising liquid-fuel engine with a thrust of 130 tons. Thanks to this, a new Chinese record was set for the number of launches from one prototype.
The next step will be flight testing of new rocket developments as part of the annual launch vehicle program announced by CASC in February. In addition to Long March 12, the Long March 6C rocket should also make its first flight this year.