Long march on land before rocket’s maiden flight
Print Edition
THE Long March-5 rocket, China’s largest carrier rocket, is scheduled to make its maiden flight this year and left northern China’s Tianjin Port for the launch base in southern Hainan yesterday.
Carried by two special rocket-carrying ships, Yuanwang-21 and Yuanwang-22, the Long March-5 will arrive at Qinglan Port in Wenchang, Hainan Province, after a seven-day journey.
The country’s strongest carrier rocket, the Long March-5 is planned to carry the Chang’e-5 lunar probe next year and will be used to launch China’s space station modules and Mars probes.
“The Long March-5 represents a landmark in the country’s carrier rocket upgrading and has expanded the diameter of liquid-fuel rockets to 5 meters from 3.35 meters, and will improve space entering capabilities by 2.5 times,” said Wu Yanhua, vice head of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense.
Instead of highly toxic propellants, the rocket uses liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen, and liquid oxygen and kerosene as fuel, making it more environmentally friendly.
The rocket’s engines can produce a thrust of more than 1,000 tons when taking off.
It has taken researchers 16 years to develop the rocket after nearly 7,000 tests. It was developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation.
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