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New Chinese rocket for crew and the Moon will be launched in 2026

Posted on by Bobb
New Chinese rocket for crew and the Moon will be launched in 2026

HELSINKI – China’s Long March 10A rocket is due to make its maiden flight in 2026, a crucial step in the country’s efforts to fly astronauts to the moon.

A model of the Long March 10A, a single-core crew-launched rocket, is due to be unveiled at the Zhuhai Air Show in southern China, which opens on November 12. The debut launch of the rocket is scheduled for 2026. until November 5 report from Science and Technology Daily, the official newspaper of the Chinese ministry.

Long March 10A, with a length of 67.4 meters and a diameter of 5.0 meters, will be used to launch a new generation of crewed spacecraft to the Tiangong space station in low Earth orbit. During first stage ascent, it will be capable of lifting 14,200 kilograms into LEO. The rocket will be 66.4 meters long when used to launch cargo missions to Tiangong.

The debut launch of the Long March 10A will be a key step towards larger ambitions. The triple-core Long March 10 processor is in development and is a critical element of China’s plans for send astronauts to the moon by 2030. The lunar version of Long March 10 will have a length of 92 meters and will be able to launch 27 tons of cargo into translunar orbit.

Two Long March 10 launches will be used to carry astronauts to and from the Moon. One will launch a crewed spacecraft called Mengzhou, and the other will launch a cluster of lunar landers called Lanyue. Two groups of spacecraft will meet in lunar orbit.

The mission plans for the pair of astronauts to spend six hours on the lunar surface before joining their counterpart in lunar orbit and returning to Earth.

NASA is currently aiming to land men on the Moon again using Artemis III no earlier than 2026. This mission faces possible additional delayshowever.

Long March 10 is being developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology (CALT) under the leadership of prime space contractor CASC.

However, developing a tri-core variant would create new challenges and would represent a missile configuration hitherto unseen in China. Challenges will likely include increasing the size and complexity of the launch vehicle and its aerodynamics. At the moment, China’s largest rocket is the Long March 5 with a diameter of 5.0 meters. Other obstacles may include engine alignment and timing, as well as landing, recovery and reuse.

CALT completed successful static fire Phase 1 trial of the Long March 10A in June.

Evolution of the long March 9

Also on display in Zhuhai will be a model of the Long March 9, which will be a Chinese rocket for launching space infrastructure, including to the Moon. Images on Chinese social networks Sina Weibo and reported Ars Technica is showing a model with a reusable upper stage, similar to the SpaceX Starship.

CALT’s Long March 9 designs and models have evolved over the years, from a disposable 10-meter-diameter kerosene-fueled rocket with four 5.0-meter-diameter side boosters, to various methane-fuelled designs that can be reused.

Various models are also on display: CASC last year showed an image of a disposable design at the International Astronautical Congress in Azerbaijan, while China’s Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL) has proposed a development path from a reusable first stage to a full-fledged spacecraft. version of the Great March 9.

A recent slide attributed to veteran Long March designer Long Lehao ​​details the 10.6-meter diameter Long March 9, powered by 30 YF-215 engines, and scheduled for first launch around 2030.

The rocket will be used to launch modules, infrastructure and components of the International Lunar Research Station, which China intends to begin construction in the early 2030s.

A modified Long March 8 rocket is also expected to be unveiled in Zhuhai. It is due to make its first flight later this year from a new commercial spaceport near the Wenchang satellite launch center. Both the rocket and commercial sites are part of China’s efforts to increase launch speeds.