China's next-generation rocket designed to carry astronauts will be multifunctional and partly reusable, according to a senior rocket scientist.
Wang Xiaojun, president of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, the country's major maker of carrier rockets, told an international forum in mid-February that the new rocket, which has yet to be named, will have two models.
The first will consist of a two-stage core booster and will be used to transport astronauts or cargo to China's Tiangong space station, while the other will have a three-stage core booster and multiple side boosters and will be tasked with carrying astronauts to the moon.
Thawj tus qauv yuav tuaj yeem xa 14 metric tons ntawm payload mus rau qhov qis -Lub ntiaj teb orbit uas lub chaw nres tsheb Tiangong tab tom mus. Tus qauv thib ob yuav muaj peev xwm nqa lub dav hlau hnyav txog 27 tons rau lub ntiaj teb - hli hloov txoj kev, lub rooj vag rau lunar landings, Wang said.
Thawj ob theem ntawm lawv cov boosters tseem ceeb yuav zoo tib yam thaum yuav muaj ib theem thib peb ntawm lub hli - foob pob hluav taws, nws hais.
Thawj theem ntawm cov qauv yuav rov siv tau dua, Wang hais tias, piav qhia tias cov khoom siv yuav muaj kev tswj hwm, siv zog tsaws nrog nws tus kheej lub cav thiab yuav raug ntes los ntawm qhov tshwj xeeb rov qab.
Wang's remarks were made at the International Symposium on Outlook and Cooperation on Near-Earth Orbit Human Spaceflight on Feb 17 and were published by China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp last week.
Lub rooj sib tham virtual tau koom nrog- koom nrog Suav Society of Astronautics thiab International Astronautical Federation.
Cov kws ua haujlwm hauv kev lag luam hauv Suav teb tau ua haujlwm los ua kom lawv cov foob pob hluav taws rov siv tau ntau xyoo thiab tau ua tiav ntau yam ntawm kev sim ua qauv qhia.
Jiang Jie, a senior rocket designer at Wang's academy and a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said research and development of the reusable variant of the Long March 8 rocket are proceeding well.
Nws hais tias cov neeg tsim qauv tab tom tsim kev sib koom ua ke thawj theem rau cov khoom siv rov ua dua tshiab. Nws yuav muaj ib tug core booster thiab ob sab boosters. Hloov chaw ntawm kev tawg thiab poob rov qab rau lub ntiaj teb zoo li thawj theem ntawm tag nrho cov foob pob hluav taws hauv Suav yav dhau los, cov tub ntxhais tshiab thiab sab boosters yuav nyob ua ke thiab ua kom muaj zog tsaws ntawm qhov chaw tsaws preset lossis lub platform rov qab los ntawm hiav txwv.
The only reusable rocket that has entered operational service is SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, which made its maiden launch in February 2018.
All boosters on the US rocket's first stage can be recovered and reused as they separate from each other before controlled reentry and landing.
